He’s not the biggest name, and he doesn’t seem to have all that strong of a chance of cracking the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 53-man roster coming out of the preseason, but that hasn’t stopped undrafted free agent Max Hurleman from generating some buzz.
Hurleman, who is listed as an RB, but can play cornerback, return kicks and punts, and do just about anything asked of him on special teams, is the “camp darling” so far, according to Mark Kaboly.
In a piece on X Tuesday, Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly highlighted Hurleman as guy who is standing out at training camp.
“Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Max Hurleman is always around the ball. In honor of the late, great Tunch and Wolf, he would be my ‘Camp Darling’ two weeks in,” Kaboly writes. “He can run, he can catch, he can play cornerback in a pinch, and he looks so smooth catching punts. He was responsible for [Corliss] Waitman’s only touchback during the special teams period as he decided to let the ball hit the ground at the 10-yard line rather than fair catch it.”
Aaron Rodgers may have had his best day so far in camp, even though it ended with a doink
Mark Kaboly / Steelers Correspondent
For The @PatMcAfeeShow
LATROBE — The second time was better than the first, but it resulted in the same outcome.
The Steelers rolled out their… pic.twitter.com/4wSsZPDCpu
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) August 6, 2025
Being able to play multiple positions and handle multiple roles is something Hurleman prides himself on. He played running back at Colgate and returned kicks, and then after transferring to Notre Dame for the 2024 season played cornerback and on special teams.
Prior to leaving Colgate for Notre Dame, Hurleman actually made the switch to receiver, so he has that background, too.
He measured in at 5107, 200 pounds at Notre Dame Pro Day, where the Steelers had a heavy presence, and ran a 4.68 40-yard dash with a 36-inch vertical. That earned him a rookie minicamp tryout invitation, which he took and ran with, earning a contract from the Black and Gold.
Now at training camp in Latrobe, Hurleman continues to make plays and impress.
Two #Steelers WRs had their best day of camp today.
– Roman Wilson
– Max Hurleman
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) August 6, 2025
It will be interesting to see how Hurleman performs Saturday night in Jacksonville in the Steelers’ preseason opener. If he can carry over some of his production in practices into the game, he could really start to generate some additional buzz, and maybe — just maybe — push for a roster spot.
He isn’t alone, either.
According to Kaboly, veteran defensive back D’Shawn Jamison is making plays in training camp, too.
“You might be able to add another one to that list of always around the ball – second-year defensive back D’Shawn Jamison,” Kaboly writes. “Jamison has played for the 49ers, Panthers and was on the Steelers’ practice squad last year, and this is after a five-year career at Texas. Every practice, No. 17, has stood out in some way.”
Jamison is a forgotten player in the secondary, one who is seemingly buried on the depth chart in the slot. But he’s continued to build on a strong summer, putting together some intriguing stretches so far in training camp. He has limited experience in actual NFL games, but after spending time on the Steelers’ practice squad last season, Jamison is starting to show up in positive ways.
He can also return kicks and punts, giving him more opportunity to make an impact. So far, he’s having a strong camp in Kaboly’s eyes, and is another one worth keeping an eye on Saturday night.
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