SEC football games are won — and lost — in the trenches. Elite teams require stellar offensive line play to have a chance against some of the nation’s fiercest pass rushers, most of which reside in college football’s most competitive conference. Many of college football’s best offensive line groups are in the SEC, which puts a premium on landing high-end tackles on the recruiting trail.
A few of the league’s expected best acquired transfers for immediate aid, but most have returning talent they’ve developed through experience on campus and reps in big games. Gone are the days of touted freshman offensive linemen learning the ropes as first-year players as many are thrust into action early and often.
From the tackle spots to the inside position and the all-important center, several SEC teams are confident in their depth.
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Based on returning talent, experience level and expected production, here are the SEC’s 10 best offensive line units entering the 2024 season:
Auburn’s offense needs to improve — that is known. And Hugh Freeze should feel good about the guys up front making that happen with All-Freshman center Connor Lew returning, Dillon Wade moving inside and Izavion Miller holding it down at right tackle. The two other positions are still up for grabs coming out of spring and two guys who will play a lot are Tate Johnson and Jeremiah Wright. Mississippi State transfer Percy Lewis could be the starter at left tackle.
With three starters back and a collective depth chart first-year coach Mike Elko feels good about, the Aggies are cautiously optimistic that their wall of blockers will perform this fall. Texas A&M must protect Conner Weigman given his injury history and making room for a top-end arsenal of running backs would make things much easier on their potential first-round pick signal caller. Third-year left tackle Trey Zuhn III and junior center Mark Nabou are two of the best in College Station and leaders within the room.
While this line looks almost completely new for the Tigers, it’s an experienced group. Left tackle transfer Marcus Bryant (SMU) and left guard Cayden Green (Oklahoma) were difference-makers at their respective programs previously and they’ll be paired with two returners that Missouri fans are extremely fond of — Cam’Ron Johnson and Connor Tollison. Between the guard and center spots, those two have combined for 50 career starts in the SEC. Armand Memboo should hold down the right tackle position, like he did last season.
You could certainly make an argument for the Wildcats to be ranked higher at this position group based on experience alone. No team in Power-conference football returns more career starts and reps in big-time games than Kentucky. Mark Stoops can sleep a little easier knowing this with a new quarterback and OC taking over. Left tackle Marques Cox and center Eli Cox are two of the league’s best, along with left guard Dylan Ray. Former Tennessee blocker Gerald Mincey is expected to earn a starting nod, too.
From the center position to the right side, Ole Miss knows where it’s bread is buttered in the trenches. The trio of right guard Jeremy James, right tackle Micah Pettus and center Caleb Warren has combined for over 100 career starts. The left guard and left tackle positions will be filled by transfers and the Rebels signed plenty, unless Jayden Williams assumes the top of the depth chart at left tackle. This offense should be an explosive group with Jaxson Dart back, along with Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins and a host of others.
The feeling around Knoxville is that if Tennessee’s offensive line can stay healthy, the sky’s the limit for this new-look offense with Nico Iamaleava taking over at quarterback. Part of that is due to nearly 100 combined starts returning between Cooper Mays, John Campbell Jr., and Javontez Spraggins. And Tennessee improved at tackle with the addition of top transfer Lance Heard from LSU, a former five-star signee for the Tigers. Mays at center, like most tempo-based schemes, is the key cog in getting this group to function with precision.
The Crimson Tide haven’t hammered out the right tackle spot coming out of spring, but the other four positions up front are essentially solidified with Kadyn Proctor returning to the team after transferring back from Iowa and Washington’s Parker Brailsford assuming the center role. Tyler Booker and Jaedan Roberts have 20 combined starts at the guard positions and Alabama’s staff feels like they are two of the best in the country there. Transfer Gino VanDeMark from Michigan State will be one of the first guys off the bench and feels a need at center behind Brailsford after Seth McLaughlin left for Ohio State.
The Bulldogs have never not had a strong offensive line during Kirby Smart’s tenure, so despite the departures of a couple starters to the NFL, this unit is talent-rich. Tate Ratledge and Earnest Greene III are two of the best and Xavier Truss as 28 career starts as the most veteran player at the line of scrimmage in Athens. Truss and Greene are Carson Beck’s protectors at the tackle spots, but if this offense intends on having balance in 2024, guard play is equally important. Center is the only question right now and there’s going to be a position battle for that first-team honor in August.
Former five-star offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. is one of the best college football has to offer at the position and has started every game of his career since arriving at Texas. He anchors a talented Longhorns front that could be up for the Joe Moore award if they can stay healthy. The other side of the line is quite massive as well with Cam Williams and DJ Campbell expected to hold down the right tackle and guard positions. Centers with experience are of extreme value and the Longhorns have Jake Majors there with 41 career starts.
With a combined 50 career starts between the pair, you’re not going to find a better 1-2 offensive tackle punch than what LSU brings to the table this fall with Will Campbell and Emery Jones. There’s a good chance both of those guys are first-round picks in 2025 and that’s just the start of the good things up front in Baton Rouge. Garrett Dellinger and Miles Frazier are also returning starters and Frazier’s 37 starts at guard is more than any player in the conference at his position. If DJ Chester gets up to speed at center and joins this cast of difference-makers, Garrett Nussmeier should have plenty of time to operate.
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