Maxwell Hairston

Maxwell Hairston (born August 6, 2003) is an American professional football cornerback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats and was selected by the Bills in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Maxwell Hairston

No. 31 – Buffalo Bills
Position:	Cornerback
Personal information
Born:	(2003-08-06) August 6, 2003 (age 22) West Bloomfield, Michigan, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	183 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school:	West Bloomfield (MI)
College:	Kentucky (2021–2024)
NFL draft:	2025: 1st round, 30th pick
Career history
Buffalo Bills (2025–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
2× second-team All-SEC (2023, 2024)
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

Hairston was born on August 6, 2003, in West Bloomfield, Michigan.^{[1][better source needed]} As a senior at West Bloomfield High School, he recorded 16 pass deflections, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles.^[2] Hairston committed to play college football at the University of Kentucky over other schools such as Kansas, Minnesota, Purdue, Virginia Tech, and Washington State.^[3]

College career

As a freshman in 2022, Hairston totaled two tackles.^[4] In the 2023 season opener, he forced a fumble as he helped Kentucky beat Ball State 44–14.^[5] The next week, Hairston recorded his first career interception in a win over Eastern Kentucky.^[6] In week three of the 2023 season, he led the team with seven tackles with one going for a loss in a win over Akron.^[7] In week four, Hairston set the single-game school record with two interceptions returned for touchdowns, as he helped Kentucky beat the Vanderbilt Commodores.^[8]

College statistics

Season	GP	Tackles					Interceptions					Fumbles
		Solo	Ast	Cmb	TfL	Sck	Int	Yds	Avg	TD	PD	FR	FF	TD
2022	12	1	1	2	0.0	0.0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
2023	13	55	13	66	2.0	0.0	5	131	26.2	2	6	0	1	0
2024	7	15	4	19	1.0	1.0	1	25	25.0	1	4	0	2	0
Career	32	71	18	87	3.0	1.0	6	156	25.6	3	10	0	3	0
Source:[9]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	Vertical jump	Broad jump
5 ft 11+1⁄4 in (1.81 m)	183 lb (83 kg)	31 in (0.79 m)	8+3⁄4 in (0.22 m)	4.28 s	1.50 s	2.51 s	39.5 in (1.00 m)	10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)
All values from NFL Combine[10][11]

Hairston was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round with the 30th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.^[12]

Legal issues

Hairston was accused of sexual assault in 2021 while attending the University of Kentucky. The offenses of first degree rape and first-degree burglary were investigated, but he was never criminally charged. During the time of the NFL Draft, Bills General Manager Brandon Beane claimed "all teams were aware of the Title IX thing. That was fully investigated by the school. There’s everything out. He even volunteered to a polygraph and had notes".^[13][14] In July 2025, a federal lawsuit was filed that alleged Hairston entered the victim's dormitory uninvited, ignored the victim's lack of interest in sexual intercourse, forcefully removed the victim's shorts and subsequently sexually assaulted her.^[15][16]