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 offensive tackles entering the 2022 college football season, along with some superlatives, including the biggest projections and sleepers.
Note: This ranking does not consider NFL potential
The Top Dog
1. PETER SKORONSKI, NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS
Northwestern thrust the then-true freshman Skoronski into its starting left tackle spot in 2019 following Rashawn Slater‘s sudden opt-out. Since then, he’s easily been one of the best players at the position, and he will look to claim that top spot in 2022.
Skoronski posted a top-15 grade among Power Five offensive tackles in each of the past two years (81.4 and 83.8). That success runs in the family, too — his late grandfather, Bob Skoronski, is a member of the Green Bay Packers‘ Hall of Fame for his work as a tackle in the 1960s. Skoronski's size and top-tier athleticism are reminiscent of Slater — now with the Los Angeles Chargers — and he is following in Slater's footsteps from a college production standpoint, as well.
Biggest Projections
5. PARIS JOHNSON JR., OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Johnson will be moving back to tackle in 2022 after spending his debut starting season at right guard as a sophomore in 2021. Despite not playing his natural position at tackle, the 6-foot-6, 315-pound five-star recruit earned a 79.1 PFF grade that ranked 16th among Power Five guards. From Week 4 on, Johnson posted an 83.5 PFF grade that ranked seventh. He placed third in run-blocking grade and allowed just five pressures — none of which were a sack or a hit — over that nine-game span.
10. BLAKE FISHER, NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
Fisher was the No. 1-ranked recruit out of Indiana in the 2021 class and earned a starting job immediately as a true freshman. Unfortunately for him and the Irish, he suffered a meniscus injury in his first game wearing the Golden Dome, causing him to miss the regular season. However, he was able to return for the Fiesta Bowl, where he earned a respectable 70.5 PFF grade across 91 snaps.
The 6-foot-6, 335-pounder moves exceptionally well for a player his size and possesses a strong punch. Unlike most at his age, he displayed advanced technique and processing in his short time on the field as a true freshman. Notre Dame has been known for producing stellar offensive linemen, and Fisher has the chance to establish himself as the next great blocker up front for the team as a starter at right tackle this fall.
18. WYATT MILUM, WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS
Milum has the potential to be one of the best offensive linemen in college football. The 2021 four-star recruit didn’t take long to see the field, assuming the starting right tackle spot midway through his true freshman year and closing out the season with a 74.2 pass-blocking grade. From Week 8 on, Milum was the seventh-highest-graded tackle in the Big 12. That's a rare level of production from a true freshman.
This year, the 6-foot-6, 291-pounder will be moving over to the left tackle spot. He has never played the position in his football career, but there shouldn’t be a major concern with the pivot since he is a natural lefty, as noted by West Virginia's staff.
Biggest Sleepers
12. JAVON FOSTER, MISSOURI TIGERS
Mizzou runs an outside zone-centric ground game that relies on blockers' aggression and athleticism, both of which Foster displays. The 6-foot-5, 297- pound left tackle was a lean, mean, run-blocking machine for the Tigers in his first year as a starter in 2021, and that won’t be much different in 2022. His positively graded run-block rate last year placed in the 93rd percentile among FBS tackles, and he finished the year with an 82.8 run-blocking grade — the highest mark among returning SEC tackles.
His pass sets were shaky in 2021, but given it was his first year as a starter, it’s reasonable to expect improvement there in 2022.
13. TREVOR REID, LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
Reid is one of the most underrated players in college football, regardless of position. The 2020 top JUCO target improved by leaps and bounds in his first year starting at the Power Five level in 2021 for Louisville. From Week 6 on, he was the highest-graded tackle in the Power Five. Reid checks the tools box with flying colors and is starting to develop into a standout, all-around left tackle.
19. MATTHEW BERGERON, SYRACUSE ORANGE
Only the Syracuse diehards have heard of Matthew Bergeron, but it’s time for the nation to recognize him as one of the best pass protectors at the position. He posted an 85.4 pass-block grade in 2021 — a top-five mark among returning Power Five tackles. Bergeron does need to play with a little more discipline, which would take his game to another level in 2022.
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