2022 SEC Unit Rankings: The Top 5 offensive lines in the SEC
Even in an era of spread football, the best offenses usually still have a few bullies up front, and the SEC is ripe with 6-foot-5, 300+ pound maulers who open holes for tailbacks and create sound pockets for some of the best quarterbacks in the country.
Here’s a look at my five best OL units in the SEC in 2022:
1. Georgia
The Bulldogs might have the best offensive in the country in 2022, depending on how one views Michigan or Ohio State. Georgia returns two starting tackles (Broderick Jones and Warren McClendon) who are projected Top 50 NFL Draft picks, a potential 1st Round center (Sedrick Van Pran-Grainger) and just a glut of options at guard. UGA has so much depth that former 5-star recruit Amarius Mims briefly entered the transfer portal this offseason before returning to Georgia. Fellow 5-star Tate Ratledge started the opener at guard, but he suffered a season-ending foot injury against Clemson. If healthy this fall, he could make Georgia’s OL even nastier.
2. Arkansas
Sam Pittman is regarded as the best OL coach in America, so it’s no surprise that Arkansas touts one of the best units in the SEC. They return four starters off a team that led the SEC in rushing in 2021 (227.7 yards per game). Senior center Ricky Stromberg is a three-year starter, while Brady Latham and Beaux Limmer might be the best guard combo in the SEC. Right tackle Dalton Wagner ranks in the Top 25 of all OTs in college football, per Pro Football Focus.
3. Kentucky
The Wildcats’ lost three starters off an impressive OL in 2021, but there’s confidence in Lexington that their ‘Big Blue Wall’ remains in tact. Kenneth Horsey is a hoss at guard, while Eli Cox was one of the better interior OL in the SEC last season suffering a season-ending hand injury. Depth is Kentucky‘s biggest strength. They have options at tackle with guys like Deondre Buford, Jeremy Flax and massive 5-star freshman Kiyaunta Goodwin — a 6-8, 355 pound tackle and the highest-rated signee of the Mark Stoops Era. Kentucky also added Auburn guard transfer Tashawn Manning to its OL room this offseason.
4. Alabama
The Tide have plenty of talent along their offensive line, but it’s a unit that struggled with consistency and cohesion in 2021 — particularly struggling to protect Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young (41 sacks allowed, second-most in the SEC). Nick Saban is hoping a new voice in OL coach Eric Wolford, who was at Kentucky last season, can solve some issues. Alabama is set on the interior (potential All-American guard Emil Ekiyor, center Seth McLaughlin and Javion Cohen), but there’s real question marks at offensive tackle. Is 5-star JC Latham ready to live up to his billing? Is Kendall Randolph suited to start or better as a super-sub option? It remains to be seen if Alabama’s OL will be its kryptonite on an otherwise flawless team, but there was enough concern that Nick Saban grabbed Vandy transfer tackle Tyler Steen, who started 10 games last season, out of the portal.
5. Texas A&M
A year after allowing just 19 sacks, the Aggies’ OL has the upside to be even better than the fifth-best unit in the SEC this fall. Bryce Foster and Reuben Fatheree were Freshmen All-American in 2021, while Layden Robinson is a solid option at guard. Texas A&M will miss 1st Round pick Kenyon Green, but a couple of blue-chip underclassmen are battling for the open jobs at tackle and right guard (Aki Ogunbiyi, Trey Zuhn and Kam Dewberry).
The best of the rest in the SEC:
Auburn definitely deserves mention here, returning four starters and multiple six-year seniors. But as a unit, they need to be better than they were in 2021, when the Tigers struggled some in pass protection and didn’t consistently open up holes for Tank Bigsby & Co.
Missouri has four starters back from last season, including its solid tackle-tandem in senior veterans Javon Foster and Hyrin White.
Ole Miss brings back a veteran OL, too, with four starters back including super-senior Nick Broeker, who will slide inside and play guard after two seasons at left tackle. The Rebels brought in Mason Brooks from WKU to start at one tackle spot, with junior Jeremy James manning the other side. Meanwhile, Mississippi State must replace Charles Cross, a 1st Round tackle, but the Bulldogs were among the best pass protecting OLs in the nation last season.
Finally, Florida is hoping its two OL coach approach will pay dividends and bring the most out of a unit that returns three starters and adds a likely All-SEC guard in transfer O’Cyrus Torrence, a three-year starter for Billy Napier at Louisiana-Lafayette.