• Using PFF’s preseason positional rankings and PFF-exclusive stats, here are the best offensive lines in the country.
• Ohio State ranks first with four offensive linemen ranking in the Top-10 at their position.
• For a detailed analysis of nearly every FBS team, check out PFF’s 2022 College Football Preview Magazine.
College football is just about here, which means it’s time to wrap up our preseason preview.
PFF lead college analyst Anthony Treash already went over the best players at every position, but what about the best position groups? Using his rankings and PFF-exclusive stats, here are the 10 best offensive lines in the country.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
Four of Ohio State’s starters rank inside the top 20 of PFF’s preseason rankings. The lone absence is sophomore guard Donovan Jackson, a former five-star who was rated as the top interior offensive line recruit in 2021. Right tackle Dawand Jones boasts a monstrous frame at 6-foot-8 and 360 pounds with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. He put that freakish size to good use en route to a 90.6 run-blocking grade last year, fourth-highest among Power Five tackles. He and Paris Johnson Jr. both rank among PFF’s top five offensive tackles, the only duo to even crack the top 10.
For those keeping track at home, Ohio State has PFF’s No. 4 quarterback, No. 4 running back, No. 2 receiving corps and the top offensive line in the country. This offense should be special.
Only OL in the Big Ten to have 90+ run blocking grades in 2021
???? Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa
???? Dawand Jones, Ohio State pic.twitter.com/QPC1TEA5tX— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 4, 2022
2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame is the only other school with four offensive linemen to make PFF’s preseason top 25 rankings. The leader is redshirt senior Jarrett Patterson, who’s our No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the country. He hasn’t allowed a sack on 1,243 career pass-blocking snaps, the second-most by a Power Five offensive lineman since PFF began charting college players in 2014. The Fighting Irish also feature two top-15 tackles in Blake Fisher and Joe Alt.
3. USC Trojans
The best interior offensive line in college football resides in Los Angeles. USC is the only school with all three interior linemen cracking PFF’s top 25 — Andrew Vorhees, Brett Neilon and Justin Dedich. Vorhees was the only offensive lineman in the country to earn 90.0-plus grades as both a pass-protector and run-blocker last year, and he did so while moving from left guard to left tackle midway through. Unsurprisingly, he’s PFF’s top interior offensive lineman in the country.
4. Baylor Bears
Baylor was one of three schools with 85.0-plus team pass-blocking and run-blocking grades last season. Four starters return from that dominant line, including a top-five tackle duo in Connor Galvin and Khalil Keith. They each dominate in different ways. Galvin earned a 91.2 pass-blocking grade last year, the best among returning Power Five tackles. Meanwhile, Keith received a 91.2 run-blocking grade, also the best among returning Power Five tackles. To top it off, between them is PFF’s No. 11 interior offensive lineman in Jacob Gall.
5. Arkansas Razorbacks
The SEC’s best offensive line belongs to the Razorbacks. USC fields the clear best interior offensive line in the country, but if anyone can catch that group, it’s Arkansas. Both Ricky Stromberg and Beaux Limmer made PFF's top 25 interior offensive linemen list. The other, Brady Latham, earned an 88.6 pass-blocking grade from Week 6 on in 2021, the best among SEC guards. Right tackle Dalton Wagner was also named one of PFF’s top 25 tackles heading into 2022.
6. BYU Cougars
Three starters return on the Cougars’ offensive line, which was the only unit in the country to grade above 90.0 in both pass protection and run blocking. Blake Freeland is PFF’s No. 6 tackle after posting a 91.6 pass-blocking grade last year, the best in the country among returning tackles. Another name to watch is Kingsley Sumataia. He was a top-40 recruit in the 2021 class and transferred from Oregon midway through last season. The redshirt freshman is currently in a battle for BYU’s starting right tackle spot this season.
7. Texas A&M Aggies
The Aggies have three linemen in PFF’s top 25 positional rankings, including two top-15 interior linemen in Bryce Foster and Layden Robinson. Foster started all 12 games as a true freshman and got better as the season progressed. From Week 7 on, he earned an 81.4 overall grade, ninth among Power Five centers. Robinson was the SEC’s highest-graded guard with an 80.7 mark.
8. Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia’s offensive line has the potential to move much higher on this list. Both Broderick Jones and Warren McClendon made PFF’s top 25 list, one of only four tackle duos to do so. Sedrick Van Pran earned a 76.7 pass-blocking grade last season, fifth among SEC centers. The guards are inexperienced, but Amarius Mims is a former top-10 recruit and Tate Ratledge was a top-50 prospect coming out.
9. Michigan Wolverines
The Wolverines lost two starters from last year but managed to upgrade at one of those spots. Olusegun Oluwatimi transfers in from Virginia, where he posted a 90.2 run-blocking grade last season, third in the country among centers. He’s PFF’s No. 5 interior offensive lineman entering this season. The other new starter is senior tackle Trente Jones, who earned an encouraging 70.9 grade as a reserve last season. He’ll have a top-25 tackle teammate in Ryan Hayes to help him get up to speed.
10. Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State is the only school on this list without an offensive lineman who made PFF’s top 25 preseason rankings. However, the Beavers deserve a place on this list for what they accomplished as a unit. Last season, they earned a 96.6 run-blocking grade and an 89.9 overall grade, second and fourth, respectively, among Power Five teams. Three starters from that unit return, forming one of the nastiest offensive lines in the Pac-12.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.