After years of discussions, negotiations and preparation, Texas has finally joined the SEC. But how do the Longhorns stack up as they enter the toughest conference in college football?
We’re ranking the SEC position by position, assigning points for each team — 16 points for first place through one point for 16th. We’ll update the totals with each installment, giving a sense of which teams will contend for the SEC title and College Football Playoff spots.
We’ve already examined SEC quarterbacks, running backs and receivers. Next we rank the SEC schools on the strength of their offensive lines heading into the season:
More: Why the SEC needs the Texas cachet to keep the football party going | Golden
LSU tackle Will Campbell, who will likely be a top-10 pick in next year’s NFL draft, leads a veteran Tigers offensive line. Either Campbell or Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. will probably be the first left tackle taken off the board.
1. LSU: Tough, talented Tigers pace rankings
There are no apparent weaknesses up front for the Tigers, who led the SEC in offense (543.5 yards a game) and points (45.5) last season. Will Campbell and Emery Jones, both projected as first-round NFL picks in 2025, have a combined 50 starts and give the Tigers the best bookend tackles in the country. Garrett Dellinger and Miles Frazier return at the guard spots, with Frazier’s 37 starts more than any player in the SEC at any position. DJ Chester could be seen as the unit’s lone question mark since he’s taking over as the starting center, but the former blue-chip recruit played plenty as a freshman in 2023 and looks like a rising star.
2. Texas: Kelvin Banks Jr. leads veteran bunch
Junior Kelvin Banks Jr. may duel LSU’s Campbell for the first left tackle who’ll be taken in the 2025 NFL draft, and a veteran Texas bunch could battle the Tigers for the Joe…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/best-sec-texas-offensive-line-120103072.html
Author : Austin American-Statesman
Publish date : 2024-07-15 12:01:03
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