The Granville household did things a little differently growing up.

Once Max Granville reached the sixth grade, he started working out with his dad, Billy Granville, every day. He even gave up video games, which is rare for a kid that age.

“I remember playing too many video games in middle school and it took time away from working out,” Granville said. “Everytime I had a bad game my dad would say it’s because I was playing video games too much. I stopped playing video games and paid more attention to getting better and focusing on details.”

That focus has propelled the Fort Bend Christian Academy defensive end into a DCTF four-star, and the No. 19 overall player in the Class of 2025. 

“There were of course days where I hated [working out with my dad] and just wanted to be a kid, but that built my work ethic and good habits,” Granville said. “Once I got to high school, it became what I liked to do; like a hobby.”

Granville’s football journey started in the second grade, and he took a few years off until middle school where he said he felt he was behind other kids because they were going viral for their athletic abilities. Despite this, he just had to trust the process.

“I was able to grow and realized I could be successful around my freshman year during the playoffs,” Granville said. “I had a breakout game with three sacks. I always knew I could do it, but that kind of confirmed that I wasn’t too far away from being recruited.”

Three years later, he is being recruited by some of the premier programs in the nation. With offers from the likes of Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas, Texas A&M, USC, and many more, Granville will have his pick of the litter on where to play his college ball. 

Despite the attention he gets from recruiters, Granville doesn’t like talking about his recruitment. He doesn’t even like when people come up and tell him how good he is. It’s not a persona he puts on, rather it’s rooted in his gratitude as a believer in Christ.

“We’re called to be humble and realize that it doesn’t come from us,” Granville said. “It’s a blessing to have the opportunity to have this athletic ability and receive interest from colleges. Having that perspective helps keep me grounded during all of it.”

Being grounded throughout the process also comes from his family. He won’t be the first, second, or even third family member to move onto the next level. His dad played linebacker and was a captain at Duke before an NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans. 

His mom, Gretchen, played volleyball at N.C. State for four years. While his brother, Zion, who Max takes inspiration from, is currently playing linebacker at Illinois State. 

“Zion played the same position as me and wore the same number in high school as me,” Granville said. “That’s why I wear No. 13 because he wore it. I watched his moves and stuff.”

Learning those moves has propelled Granville into DCTF’s No. 2 defensive end in his class. However, there are things he wishes he did differently in his career. One thing is he said he was too focused on eating too healthy his freshman year.

Sounds odd right? But Granville said he wanted to stay lean and ate strictly greens, avoiding meat. Although not necessarily bad, he realized that he could put on natural weight.

“You can’t just eat a bunch of junk food, but I’ve been eating a lot of lean meat and have been able to put on some weight,” Granville said. “I think if I would’ve done those two things it could have helped my development a little more.”

His advice for younger players to help their development is to be in the weight room, and work hard in the background. Granville said to not chase offers. If you make plays on the field, coaches will notice you. 

“The biggest thing is staying consistent,” Granville said. “Don’t overtrain, but put in good work. Do position specific stuff. Like in the offseason, my dad will put his pads on and we’ll work on pass rush stuff.”

Granville’s end-goal is to excel in college and develop well in a college’s strength and conditioning program, and reach a good weight. His ultimate goal is one you might expect.

“Hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to play in the NFL one day,” Granville said. “Then that’ll put me on a platform to share my faith [in Christ], like C.J. Stroud.”