• Alabama leads the way: The Crimson Tide have the best offensive line in the country, thanks to a special interior unit.
• Four SEC schools in the top four: The conference is loaded up front, with Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Texas comprising the top four of this list.
• Get a head start on fantasy football: Use PFF's fantasy football mock draft simulator to create real live mock draft simulations to get ready for your live draft!
Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
While it's certainly the least glamorous part of an offense, the offensive line is critical to a team’s success. Putting points on the board is nearly impossible without at least some sort of competency up front.
Unlike the other position groups we’ve ranked so far, the strength of an offensive line depends on the quality of all the starters rather than just one or two stars.
Here are the 10 best offensive lines heading into the 2024 college football season.
Check out our other position group rankings:
Quarterback Rooms | Running Back Units | Receiving Corps
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide takes the top spot because they have one of the most loaded interior offensive lines in recent memory.
All three of Alabama's projected starters on the interior made PFF's list of the top returners at the position: Parker Brailsford (No. 1), Tyler Booker (No. 3) and Jaeden Roberts (No. 7).
They also return sophomore left tackle Kadyn Proctor, who transferred from Alabama to Iowa and back to Alabama, all in a span of three months. The former top-10 recruit’s freshman season was a roller coaster, as he earned a 76.3 PFF grade in the final seven games after posting a 54.5 mark in the first seven.
The right tackle spot will likely be manned by Elijah Pritchett, a former top-35 overall recruit in the class of 2022.
Tyler Booker is the best left guard returning to CFB imo.
Looked fantastic as a true freshman in 2022 in pass pro and made major strides as a run-blocker this past season, improving RB grade by over 10 points.
#52 here
pic.twitter.com/cyaDOOaB8v— Max Chadwick (@MaxChadwickCFB) February 25, 2024
2. Georgia Bulldogs
Alabama’s interior offensive line is clearly the best in the nation, but Georgia’s has to be second. The Bulldogs were the only other team to boast multiple interior offensive linemen in my list of the top 10 returners.
Right guard Tate Ratledge came in third and is easily the best pass-protecting interior lineman in the nation. Ratledge ranked third among Power Five guards in pass-blocking grade, pressure rate allowed and pass-blocking grade on true pass sets last season. Left guard Dylan Fairchild checked in at No. 9 and is a similarly dominant pass-blocker, as his 86.8 pass-blocking grade last year was good for fourth in the Power Five.
Georgia also returns both of its starting tackles in Earnest Greene III and Xavier Truss, who each posted 60.0-plus grades last year. Jared Wilson will be a new starter at center but impressed as a backup, earning a 70.2 grade on 131 snaps in 2023.
3. LSU Tigers
Not only does LSU have the best offensive tackle in the nation, it has the finest tackle duo, as well. Will Campbell (No. 1) and Emery Jones (No. 9) each made my list of the top 10 returners at the position, and there’s a legitimate chance that both could be first-round picks next April.
The Tigers also return both starting guards from last year in Miles Frazier and Garrett Dellinger, who placed third and fourth among SEC guards in pass-blocking grade. Redshirt freshman DJ Chester will likely be the new starting center and was one of the 10 best interior offensive line recruits in the class of 2023.
The 2024 NFL Draft is LOADED at offensive tackle, but there are still some ⭐️ tackles returning to CFB.
None bigger than LSU’s Will Campbell.
Was a fantastic pass-protecter as a true freshman in 2022, one of the best run-blockers this past season.
— Max Chadwick (@MaxChadwickCFB) February 25, 2024
4. Texas Longhorns
Texas returns four starters on its offensive line, headlined by junior left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. The 6-foot-4, 324-pound junior finished the 2023 season as the sixth-most valuable tackle in the nation, according to our wins above average metric, and he is the second-best returning tackle in college football. Expect to hear his name called in the top 10 of next year’s draft.
The Longhorns also bring back the entirety of their interior in Hayden Conner, Jake Majors and DJ Campbell. Cameron Williams will likely fill in at right tackle after not allowing a single pressure on 49 pass-blocking snaps as a sophomore.
5. Oregon Ducks
The first non-SEC school on this list, Oregon’s offensive line comes in at No. 4 simply because of the strength of the tackle position. Ajani Cornelius is my No. 4 returning tackle in the nation and only surrendered pressure on 2.1% of his pass-blocking snaps in 2023, the lowest rate of any returning Power Five tackle. Meanwhile, Josh Conerly Jr. gave up a 0.6% knockdown rate, third in the Pac-12.
The Ducks also brought back their starting left guard Marcus Harper II and added another guard from the portal in Matthew Bedford from Indiana. Bedford's 70.7 run-blocking grade was fifth among Big Ten guards last year.
Iapani Laloulu will take over at center for the departed Jackson Powers-Johnson and flashed high-end ability as a true freshman. Laloulu's 0.9% pressure rate allowed was the lowest among Power Five guards last season.
Ajani Cornelius made the transition from the FCS to Power Five look seamless.
The Oregon RT surrendered a pressure on just 2.1% of his pass-blocking snaps in 2023, lowest rate of any returning P5 OT.
Here are some impressive reps against Trice & Ellisspic.twitter.com/4KQMrH6014
— Max Chadwick (@MaxChadwickCFB) February 25, 2024
6. Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State returns four starters from last year’s offensive line, and the star is at left guard. Donovan Jackson is the fourth-best returning interior offensive lineman in college football and is the third-most valuable returning Power Five guard, according to our wins above average metric.
The Buckeyes also brought back both of their starting tackles, Josh Simmons and Josh Fryar, who each earned 70.0-plus grades in 2023.
Seth McLaughlin transferred from Alabama and will take over at center. While he endured a down year this past season (63.4 grade), he was second among SEC centers in PFF grade the year before (75.1).
7. Missouri Tigers
Missouri’s offensive line was the second-highest-graded unit in the Power Five last season, earning an 83.1 mark. Three of the five starters returned, and none were better than center Connor Tollison. After struggling to a 50.8 grade in 2022, he improved that figure to 78.7 last season. Tollison’s 80.4 run-blocking grade was the third-best in the Power Five, as well.
Incoming transfers will man the entire left side of the offensive line. Marcus Bryant will likely start at left tackle, and he has been a very good pass protector there over the last few seasons for SMU. Since 2021, his 84.8 pass-blocking grade is seventh among Group of Five tackles.
Cayden Green will be next to him at left guard and started there for Oklahoma last season as a true freshman. He’s a former top-100 recruit who was named to PFF’s Freshman All-American team.
8. Miami Hurricanes
Not only is Miami’s offensive line good enough to earn a spot in this top 10, but it also has the upside to climb much higher by season’s end.
Two of the Hurricanes’ starters, right tackle Francis Mauigoa and left guard Samson Okunlola, are true sophomores and former five-star recruits of the 2023 cycle. Mauigoa started as a freshman and ranked third among ACC tackles in run-blocking grade (70.7). Right behind him in fourth was his teammate Jalen Rivers, who’ll be entering his third year as a starter for Miami.
Zach Carpenter will be starting at center after transferring from Indiana. He led all Big Ten centers this past season with a 1.9% pressure rate allowed.
9. Florida State Seminoles
The Seminoles have one of the deepest offensive lines in the country. Of the eight offensive linemen who played at least 190 snaps for Florida State last year, five returned for 2024, including three starters in left tackle Darius Washington, center Maurice Smith and right tackle Jeremiah Byers.
Washington led all ACC tackles in 2023 with a 76.1 grade and an 84.6 pass-blocking grade.
The Seminoles also brought in a couple of players from the transfer portal in Richie Leonard IV (Florida) and Terrence Ferguson II (Alabama). They’re both expected to start at guard next season.
10. Florida Gators
Florida’s offensive line was dominant in the run game last season. The Gators’ front five earned an 82.2 run-blocking grade, fourth among Power Five offensive lines.
Florida returns three starters from that line, with its star coming from the middle. Jake Slaughter is my No. 8 returning interior offensive lineman in college football after posting an 81.2 overall grade, second among Power Five centers.
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