- Kade Pieper tops the list: Iowa’s right guard has an elite 90.3 PFF grade over the last two seasons.
- Evan Tengesdahl comes in second: Cincinnati’s star left guard led the Power Four with an 89.7 run-blocking grade in 2025.
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Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
The 2026 college football offseason is in full swing. With that, it’s time to start ranking the top-10 returning players at every single position.
Next up is offensive guard. It’s a position with plenty of talent going back to school. Of the five most valuable Power Four guards from the 2025 season in PFF’s wins above average metric, three are returning to college.
Below is a list of PFF’s top 10 returning offensive guards in college football with an honorable mention nominee. Please note that NFL projection was not taken into account in these rankings.
Click below to view our other position rankings
1. Kade Pieper, Iowa
Pieper had flashes of brilliance as a backup guard for the Hawkeyes in 2024, posting a ridiculous 97.6 PFF grade on 108 snaps. He became the starting right guard as a redshirt sophomore this past season and was fifth among all guards in America with an 83.6 PFF grade.
Pieper’s 83.5 run-blocking grade was also fifth in the nation as his explosive movement ability impressed in Iowa’s outside-zone heavy scheme. No returning Power Four guard has been more valuable than him over the last two years, according to PFF’s wins above average metric.
2. Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati
Tengesdahl became the Bearcats’ starting left guard as a redshirt sophomore following two years on the bench. He was dominant in that role, leading all Power Four guards with an 89.7 PFF run-blocking grade while his 85.4 overall grade was third in the country.
Tengesdahl also didn’t allow a sack across 408 pass-blocking snaps and was the most valuable Power Four guard that’s returning to college, according to our WAA metric. He’s a powerful player at 320 pounds who led the Power Four with 10 big-time blocks (PFF’s highest-graded blocks).
3. Ezomo Oratokhai, Northwestern
Oratokhai started all 13 games for the Wildcats at left guard during his redshirt freshman campaign. He particularly impressed as a pass blocker, posting an 81.2 career PFF pass-blocking grade and allowing just one sack/hit across 521 pass-blocking snaps.
Oratokhai was also top 20 in the Power Four in both PFF grade and in our WAA metric. His strong grip latches onto defenders while his sturdy anchor stops them in their tracks.
4. Luke Montgomery, Ohio State
Montgomery played 261 snaps in 2024 as a backup for the Buckeyes before becoming the starting left guard as a junior. He excelled in that role, placing 14th in the FBS in PFF’s WAA metric and 14th among Power Four guards with a 73.6 PFF grade.
Montgomery was particularly strong on zone runs, earning an 85.2 PFF run-blocking grade on such plays. His strong upper body allows him to pancake defenders routinely.
5. Greg Johnson, Minnesota
Johnson has seen consistent playing time across his three collegiate seasons, tallying 1,972 career snaps while starting the last two years for the Golden Gophers. He spent all of the 2024 campaign at center before moving to left guard this past season.
Johnson seemed much more comfortable at that position, improving his PFF grade from a 60.5 in 2024 to a 75.1 in 2025. The latter was ninth in the Power Four this past year, while his 73.4 PFF run-blocking grade was 15th. He also earned an 80.1 PFF pass-blocking grade, which placed Johnson ninth in the Big Ten.
6. Shadre Hurst, Houston
Hurst is the only transfer on this list, reuniting with head coach Willie Fritz at Houston after transferring in from Tulane. The redshirt senior has been the Green Wave’s starting left guard for the past three seasons and has been dominant over the last two in particular.
In fact, no returning FBS guard has been more valuable than Hurst over the past two years, according to PFF’s WAA metric. His 90.5 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025 was fourth in the FBS, while his 80.9 run-blocking grade was 10th. Hurst’s 12 big-time blocks were the most of any guard in America as well.
He’s a bit undersized for the position (6-foot-2, 293 pounds) and needs to prove it at a Power Four level, but his tape warrants a spot on this list, if not higher.
7. Jake Guarnera, Michigan
Guarnera became the Wolverines’ starting right guard as a sophomore after playing just one offensive snap during his true freshman campaign. Despite his lack of experience, the Florida native more than held his own there.
Guarnera was one of the 40 most valuable guards in the nation according to PFF’s WAA metric, while his 70.6 PFF run-blocking grade was 11th in the Big Ten. There’s still some work to be done in pass protection (66.0 pass-blocking grade), but he’s a powerful player who’s just getting started.
8. Addison Nichols, SMU
Nichols was a solid center at Arkansas in 2024 before moving to right guard after transferring to SMU. Just like his time with the Razorbacks, Nichols impressed as a pass protector.
His 90.0 PFF pass-blocking grade was sixth in the FBS as he didn’t allow a sack and only gave up six pressures across 875 pass-blocking snaps. Nichols’ 86.0 PFF pass-blocking grade since 2024 is the highest of anyone on this list.
9. Drew Evans, Indiana
Evans has started the last two seasons at left guard for the Hoosiers, winning a national championship this past season. He has performed admirably in pass protection during that stretch, tallying an 81.5 PFF pass-blocking grade since 2024 with zero sacks allowed on 656 career pass-blocking snaps. Evans wrapped up 2025 as one of the 20 most valuable guards in America, according to PFF’s wins above average metric.
He and left tackle Carter Smith (No. 1 on our tackle rankings) should keep quarterback Josh Hoover’s blindside spotless this season.
10. Wendell Moe Jr., Tennessee
Moe was Arizona’s starting left guard across the 2023 and 2024 seasons and was nothing short of outstanding as a pass protector during those two years. His 88.4 PFF pass-blocking grade in that stretch ranked eighth among all guards in the FBS.
Moe moved to right guard after transferring to Tennessee, and while his pass-blocking grade dropped to 64.7, he posted a career-high 75.2 PFF run-blocking grade with the Volunteers. Moe has a stocky build at 6-foot-2, 330 pounds, with natural pad leverage and the upper-body strength to ragdoll defenders.
Honorable Mention: Dominick Giudice, Missouri
Giudice started the first five games of the 2024 season at center for Michigan before getting injured and losing his job, posting just a 52.4 PFF grade in the process.
He moved to left guard after transferring to Missouri, which was an ideal spot for him. In fact, he was the fourth-most valuable Power Four guard, according to PFF’s wins above average metric, while placing seventh in the SEC with a 79.9 PFF pass-blocking grade.
With center Connor Tollison moving on to the NFL, Giudice may move back to center for the 2026 campaign.
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