College News & Analysis

2022 College Football Preseason Rankings: Top 25 interior offensive linemen

South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson (55) readies for the snap in the third quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

It’s time to ramp things up in preparation for the 2022 college football season, as Week 0 is just over a month away.

Check out the recently released 2022 PFF College Football Preview Guide as well as further preseason positional rankings that will be rolled out over the next few weeks.

Below are PFF’s picks for the top 25 interior offensive linemen entering the 2022 college football season, along with some superlatives, including the biggest projections and sleepers.

Note: This ranking does not consider NFL potential

Rank Player, School
1 G Andrew Vorhees, USC Trojans
2 C Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
3 G O'Cyrus Torrence, Florida Gators
4 C John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota Golden Gophers
5 C Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan Wolverines
6 C Luke Wypler, Ohio State Buckeyes
7 G Caleb Chandler, Louisville Cardinals
8 G Christian Mahogany, Boston College Eagles (out for season w/ torn ACL)
9 C Brett Neilon, USC Trojans
10 G TJ Bass, Oregon Ducks
11 C Jacob Gall, Baylor Bears
12 G Clark Barrington, BYU Cougars
13 C Bryce Foster, Texas A&M Aggies
14 G Layden Robinson, Texas A&M Aggies
15 G Josh Lugg, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
16 G Matthew Jones, Ohio State Buckeyes
17 C Joe Tippman, Wisconsin Badgers
18 C Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas Razorbacks
19 G JD Duplain, Michigan State Spartans
20 G Kyle Hergel, Texas State Bobcats
21 G Kenneth Horsey, Kentucky Wildcats
22 G Justin Dedich, USC Trojans
23 G Hunter Woodard, Oklahoma State Cowboys
24 C Grant Gibson, NC State Wolfpack
25 G Beaux Limmer, Arkansas

The Top Dog

1. G ANDREW VORHEES, USC TROJANS

Vorhees should be considered one of the best linemen in college football, as the 6-foot-6, 320-pound lineman is a technician and a well-oiled machine. He earned 90.0-plus grades as both a pass- and run-blocker in 2021, and he did so while moving from left guard to left tackle midway through the season. Vorhees is penciled in at left guard for 2022, but he clearly brings position flexibility.

Biggest Projections

3. G O’CYRUS TORRENCE, FLORIDA GATORS

Torrence followed Billy Napier from Louisiana — where he was a three-year starter — to Florida this offseason. He was thrown into the fire as a true freshman in 2019 and has since become one of the premier players at the position, recording 80.0-plus pass-blocking grades for three straight seasons while allowing only 17 pressures across 1,146 pass-blocking snaps in that span — none of which has resulted in a sack.

Going from 420 pounds in junior high to one of the best interior linemen in college football, Torrence has an excellent story. He received some SEC interest late in his high school recruiting process but decided to stick with the Ragin’ Cajuns. After a few years in Louisiana, the 6-foot-5, 332-pound guard will now get to show he belongs in the SEC.

Biggest Sleepers

7. G CALEB CHANDLER, LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

Chandler is in the conversation for the most underrated offensive lineman in college football. He played near-flawless football in the second half of 2021. From Week 6 on, he earned 90.0-plus pass-blocking and run-blocking grades — something no other Power Five guard accomplished. He allowed only three pressures and earned a 92.6 overall mark in that span.

9. C BRETT NEILON, USC TROJANS

Neilon took his play to another level in 2021. The 2017 four-star recruit earned an 86.2 PFF grade for the year, which is over 20 grading points higher than each of his previous two years as the Trojans' starting center. Neilon’s positively graded run-block rate — one of the most stable metrics for centers — was the fourth-highest at the position in the Power Five last year.

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