ACC Positional Group Rankings: Offensive Line (Coastal)
As part of our summer ACC rankings series, in addition to the more fun categories (stadiums, uniforms, etc.), we’ll also be ranking each position group for every ACC team. This exercise provides an excellent opportunity to take stock of not only BC’s talent and depth at each position but also compare to the rest of the conference. At the end of this series, we should see how each team stacks up against each other and predict how each team will finish. One note before we begin: this process will take all players into account, not just the starters. At certain positions, depth is arguably just as important as talent.
A few weeks ago, we looked at the tight end position, and BC remained in the top-tier in the conference. BC has had one of the better offensive lines in the conference for the last few years. But there were some less than stellar outings last year for the big boys upfront; many played different positions, and they struggled to consistently succeed in the new offensive scheme. Let’s see how BC’s group ranks against the rest of the conference.
A few housekeeping notes: I broke this article up into two because this one is very long; the offensive lines are the biggest (in terms of numbers in addition to physical size) position group. Additionally, the offensive lines across the ACC are quite good; based on my research, I would say that more than half of the offensive lines in the conference are above average, relative to the rest of the country. Even the teams at the bottom of the conference are not atrocious in the trenches. In this iteration of this series, I will list the presumed starting offensive line from left to right with their positions in parentheses. I’ll also list the backup players’ general positions (OT, OG, etc.).
Starter or presumed starter in italics
7. Duke: Casey Holman (LT), Maurice McIntyre (LG), Jack Wolabaugh (C), Jacob Monk (RG), Graham Barton (RT); Will Taylor (C), Carson Van Lynn (OT), John Gelotte (OT), Peace Addo (OT), Elijah Wroten (C), Ron Carr (OT), Brian Foley (OG), Kade Parmelly (OG), Calib Perez (OT), Addison Penn (C), Justin Pickett (OT), Andrew Jones (C), Ethan Niang (OG), Zach Thomson (OL), Anthony Hinton (OL)
Like Syracuse, Duke remains in the basement of the conference for the offensive line as well. The Blue Devils have some solid players on the interior of the offensive line, but their tackles are extremely questionable. There is plenty of experience at the guard and center positions, as Jack Wolabaugh missed last year due to injury, allowing Will Taylor and Graham Barton to play there. Wolabaugh is back this year; he’s a former four-star recruit that originally went to Ohio State but transferred to Duke after not playing for two years. He’s played almost two years in Durham but missed the last 1.5 seasons due to injuries.
Will Taylor and Graham Barton split center duties last season; with Wolabaugh healthy again and Barton kicking out to right tackle, Taylor will be a depth player this year but is a decent backup that can fill in if someone goes down. Casey Holman is back at left tackle and is solid, but his size (6’4”, 290 lbs) is a limiting factor. Maurice McIntyre takes over for the departed Rakavius Chambers, whom he filled in for during a few games last year. Jacob Monk is back as well at right guard and was one of the Blue Devils’ better offensive linemen last year.
Carson Van Lynn is a graduate transfer from Pitt who started three games last year and has lots of experience; if either of the projected starters at tackle struggle or miss time, he should be the first option off the bench. John Gelotte and Peace Addo are depth players who have never started a game and only have 75 career offensive snaps between them. Elijah Wroten redshirted last year and will most likely not play very much this year due to the depth at center. Ron Carr is another undersized offensive tackle who will most likely not see the field this year. Brian Foley and Kade Parmelly are two graduate transfers from FCS programs (Holy Cross and Abilene Christian, respectively) who could see the field if there are multiple injuries. Addison Penn and Calib Perez both redshirted and did not see the field at all in 2020.
The Blue Devils’ recruiting class features three offensive linemen: Justin Pickett, Andrew Jones, and Ethan Niang. Jones was the highest-rated, but he needs to put on weight (260 pounds), while Pickett is a massive recruit (6’7”, 315) who will contribute in the future. Zach Tomson and Anthony Hinton are very undersized former walk-ons (less than 230 pounds) who should not see the field this year. Duke has some experience, but they’re shuffling some players around the line, and no players on this line are dominant. Therefore, Duke’s already lackluster skill position players will need to survive and create without much help from their line.
6. Pittsburgh: Carter Warren (LT), Marcus Minor (LG), Owen Drexel (C), Jake Kradel (RG), Gabe Houy (RT); Matt Goncalves (OT/OG), Blake Zubovic (OG), Keldrick Wilson (OT), Brandon Taylor (OT), Dakota Peters (OT), Michael Staham Jr. (OT), Jason Collier Jr. (OT/OG), Matt Altsman (C), Terrence Moore (OT/OG), Terrence Enos Jr. (OG), Trey Andersen (OT)
Pitt usually has one of the better offensive lines in the conference during the Narduzzi era. With that being said, this line is below average for them and below average in the conference. The Panthers also have a bit of a depth problem. Pitt lost two players to this NFL this offseason as the Las Vegas Raiders drafted center Jimmy Morrissey in the seventh round, and Bryce Hargrove signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
Owen Drexel has some experience at center, playing in relief of Morrissey due to injury in years past. Marcus Minor is another experienced veteran, as he comes over from Maryland with 26 career games and 17 starts. Jake Kradel and Gabe Houy are back on the right side of the line; they both started eight games at right guard and tackle last year, respectively. There will be a battle at the left tackle position, as Carter Warren began the year as the starter but had some injuries and bad games, which cleared the path for Matt Goncalves. Goncalves turned in some solid performances but was also benched in the season finale for poor performance and replaced by Warren. Goncalves also has some experience at guard, so he could also be fighting with Minor for that spot.
Blake Zubovic could also be in the mix at either guard spot, but he was uninspiring in two starts last season. Keldrick Wilson and Branson Taylor are big tackles with some playing experience, but they should be backups this year. Dakota Peters transferred to Pitt after two years at Akron with no playing time; he joined the team as a walk-on, so Kenny Pickett could be in trouble if he gets on the field. Jason Collier Jr. and Michael Stathan Jr. are massive young players that have yet to earn any snaps but could be important pieces in the future. Matt Altsman is an undersized walk-on who will most likely not see the field again. Terrence Moore, Terrence Enos Jr., and Trey Andersen are the three true freshmen for the Panthers; all three are among the best recruits in Pitt’s class.
This is where the lines start to get solid and maybe even good, which showcases the depth at the position throughout the conference. However, Pitt also has a depth/experience problem and some questions about who will line up in certain positions, which puts them in this relatively low position.
5. Georgia Tech: Devin Cochran (LT), Kenny Cooper (LG), Mikey Minihan (C), Ryan Johnson (RG), Jordan Williams (RT); Kenneth Kirby (OT), William Lay (C), Michael Maye (OG), Austin Smith (OG), Nick Pendley (OG), Paula Vaupulu (OG/C), Matthew Morgan (OG), Will Scissum (C/OG), Jamal Camp (C/OG), Wing Green (OT), Cade Kootsouradis (OG), Will Milan (OG), Ryan Spiers (OG/C), Anthony Minella (C/OG), Weston Franklin (OG), Jakiah Leftwich (OT), Joe Fusile (OT/OG)
It’s taken a while, but it seems like Georgia Tech has finally turned over their offensive line from the triple-option days. The offense has switched over to a wide-open spread attack, and the offensive line, thanks to some transfers, actually reflects that now. However, even though this line has lots of experience, with multiple fifth and sixth-year seniors, they’re definitely in the bottom half of the conference.
Devin Cochran grad transferred from Vanderbilt last year but didn’t play due to some odd circumstances. He’s back this year and projects to start at left tackle. Kenny Cooper is the lone remaining player on the roster who played for Paul Johnson. Cooper is entering his sixth, after missing most of 2019 due to an injury and still recovering in 2020; he has experience all along the interior and projects to start at left guard. Mikey Minihan started every game at center, a position he had never played before, and it showed. He and Cooper could both play either guard spot or center. Ryan Johnson grad transferred from Tennessee and started every game at right guard; he struggled as well, so his job could be up for grabs. Jordan Williams won the starting right tackle job as a true freshman last year and was arguably the Yellow Jackets’ best lineman. He’s still obviously very young and has some flaws, but he is immensely talented.
Kenneth Kirby is another grad transfer, this one from Norfolk State, where he started every game the last three years; he could fill in at either tackle or guard spot. William Lay III has some experience playing at center, but he’s still a less reliable option than the starters. Michael Maye and Austin Smith were the only other offensive linemen to earn playing time last year but played less than 10 snaps combined. Nick Pendley transfers in from Mississippi State, where he barely played the last two years. Paula Vaipulu played in one game as a true freshman last year.
Matthew Morgan is a big redshirt sophomore, but he hasn’t seen the field at all yet. Jamal Camp and Will Scissum are two redshirt freshmen that haven’t taken any snaps either. Wing Green, Cade Kootsouradis, Will Milan, Ryan Spiers, and Anthony Minella all redshirted last year as freshmen. Weston Franklin and Jakiah Leftwich are the two freshmen in this class and have good size but will most likely not see the field due to the depth along the line, especially given the number of freshmen that redshirted last year. Joe Fusile is another freshman with excellent size (6’6”, 320 lbs) but is only a walk-on.
Like some previously discussed groups, this line has lots of experience but not necessarily good experience. Luckily, the skill players for Georgia Tech can help make the line look better. With COVID behind them and another year in the system, this line could gel together and become one of the better ones in the conference if the starters stay healthy.
4. North Carolina: Asim Richards (LT), Joshua Ezeudu (LG), Brian Anderson (C), Marcus McKethan (RG), Jordan Tucker (RT); Ed Montlius (OG), Quiron Johnson (C), William Barnes (OT/OG), Jonathan Adorno (OG), Cayden Baker (OT), Malik McGowan (OG), Wyatt Tunall (OT), Chance Carroll (C/OG), Nick Mackovic (OG/C), Wisdom Asaboro (OT), Trey Zimmerman (OT), AJ Beatty (OT), Hunter Shope (C), Noland Brown (C), Eli Sutton (OT), Diego Pounds (OT/OG), Carter Kulka (OG)
Ranking the Tar Heels’ offensive line is relatively difficult, as they return tons of experience and have played with each other for tons of games. However, despite the crazy production numbers last year from the skill players, the offensive line is not that good. Luckily, their simplistic but effective scheme helps masks some of those inefficiencies.
Asim Richards started all but one game at left tackle last year but struggled down the stretch. Joshua Ezeudu started ten games, including the last five at left guard, and probably has the lead in the battle for that starting job. Brian Anderson is back for a third season as the starting center but isn’t a very exciting or dominant player. Marcus McKethan is probably the best player on the line; he’s started the last two seasons at right guard and is a massive player (6’7”, 335 lbs). Jordan Tucker is another big player (6’6”, 340) who has started at right tackle the last two years, but really struggled in pass protection in the latter half of 2020.
Ed Montilus began 2020 as the starter at left guard, lost the job to Ezeudu, started a few more games when Ezeudu had to fill in at tackle, then didn’t play the last three games of the season. Montilus is a good depth piece, but he clearly can’t be relied upon to be a full-time starter. Quiron Johnson is another valuable depth player, as he took snaps at center and both guard spots last year; he can even kick out to tackle in a pinch. William Barnes and Jonathan Adorno both got some snaps in garbage time last year. Cayden Baker played in five games last year as a true freshman; Malik McGowan, Wyatt Tunall, and Chance Carroll got some playing time and true freshmen, but they preserved their redshirts. Nick Mackovic, Hunter Shope, and Noland Brown all played in one game last year, seeing action against Western Carolina.
Wisdom Asaboro is a massive redshirt sophomore that has yet to see the field. Trey Zimmerman and AJ Beatty are two undersized redshirt freshmen tackles that also haven’t taken any snaps. Eli Sutton and Deigo Pounds are two true freshmen who will be the tackles of the future for the Tar Heels but will most likely redshirt this season. Carter Kulka is a walk-on true freshman that needs to put on weight. North Carolina has two above-average offensive linemen on the right side of the line. But going left from the center, questions abound; as Asim Richards struggled last year, the left guard position is up for grabs, and Brian Anderson is an experienced player but might be the worst player on the line. Again, North Carolina’s RPO-heavy offense can mask some of these deficiencies, but in crucial moments against big teams like Miami or Clemson, the line could get exposed.
3. Virginia Tech: Luke Tenuta (LT), Lecitus Smith (LG), Brock Hoffman (C), Johnny Jordan (RG), Silas Dzansi (RT); Tyrell Smith (OG), Jesse Hanson (OG/OT), Bob Schick (OT), Parker Clements (OT), Jonathan Kuhler (OG/C), Noah Sage (OG), Nikolai Bujnowski (C), Jack Hollifield (OG/OT), William Jones (OT), Bryce Goodner (OG), Kaden Moore (OG), Danijel Miletic (OG), Griffin Duggan (OT), Tyler Smedley (C), Trey Reiter (C)
The Hokies lost their best offensive lineman, Christian Darrisaw, to the NFL, but they have an experienced offensive line otherwise. Luke Tenuta started eight games at right tackle and one at left and is the leader in the clubhouse to replace Darrisaw on the left side. Silas Dzansi will replace Tenuta at right tackle in turn; Dzansi started three games at right tackle last year, so he has experience there as well. Lecitus Smith is back at left guard, where he turned in a quality season. Brock Hoffman had some growing pains jumping up a level in competition after transferring from Coastal Carolina, but he eventually settled in and is a solid player as well.
The right guard spot is up for grabs at this point. Tyrell Smith is the elder statesman on the line and the team in general; he enters his seventh year with the Hokies but has never started a game, and his snaps have decreased every season. The more likely candidate is Johnny Jordan, a transfer from Maryland. Jordan started the first four games of the season for the Terrapins but missed the rest of the season with an injury. He primarily played center at Maryland but will most likely compete at the guard position.
Unfortunately, none of the rest of the players on the roster played last season. Jesse Hanson has been on the team the longest and could figure into the battle for the right guard job. Bob Schick played two years at Snow College and could be the first tackle off the bench in the event of injury. Parker Clement, Jonathan Kuhler, Noah Sage, and Nikolai Bujnowski all redshirted last year and did not see any game action. Jack Hollifield is switching to the offensive line after being recruited as a tight end.
William Jones, Bryce Goodner, Kaden Moore, and Danijel Miletic are the other scholarship freshmen. Given the lack of depth and experience behind the starters, they could actually see some playing time if any injuries occur or in garbage time. Griffin Duggan, Tyler Smedley, and Trey Reiter are three walk-ons who will most likely need to redshirt. Virginia Tech leaps North Carolina in these rankings because they have four very solid returning starters with extensive experience. However, the lack of depth could become a major issue if any injuries occur, which prevents the Hokies from being ranked any higher.
2. Virginia: Ryan Nelson (LT), Joe Bissinger (LG), Olusegun Oluwatimi (C), Chris Glaser (RG), Ryan Swoboda (RT); Bobby Haskins (OT), Derek Divine (OT), Jestus Johnson (OG), Jonathan Leech (OT), Jack Keenan (OT), Kariem Al Soufi (OG), Zachary Teter (OG), Colby McGhee (OT), Luke Johnson (OT), Logan Turner (OT), Noah Josey (OT), Charlie Patterson (OT), Joey Kagel (C), Ty Furnish (OG), Grant Lanham (OG)
Even though the Cavaliers lack explosiveness among their skill position players, their offensive line is quite good. All five spots are manned by returning starters, and all of them are upperclassmen. Ryan Nelson has started every game for the Cavaliers over the last three seasons. Joe Bissinger did not begin 2020 as the starter, but he played most of the snaps at left guard in seven games last year and started the final three. Olusegun Oluwatimi is back for another year, starting at center. Chris Glaser returns for a fifth season of action as one of the best guards in the conference. Finally, the mountainous Ryan Swoboda is also back at right tackle. This group took their game to another level last season, and there’s no reason to think they won’t continue improving.
Bobby Haskins was the starter at left tackle in 2019 but missed the beginning of 2020 due to injury and never got the job back. Regardless, he’s another upperclassman with plenty of experience. Derek Devine plays primarily on special teams, along with Jonathan Leech. Jestus Johnson played in one game as a true freshman and could fill in at guard if needed. Jack Keenan saw the first action of his career last year, and the senior will play primarily on special teams as well.
Kariem Al Soufi and Zachary Teter are redshirt sophomores who have yet to take any snaps. Colby McGhee and Luke Johnson redshirted last year as true freshmen and did not see the field. Logan Taylor and Noah Josey are Virginia’s two highest-rated linemen recruits and are among the best in their class. Charlie Patterson, Grant Lanham, Ty Furnish, and Joey Kagel are also true freshmen but will most likely redshirt this year due to the depth on the line. Virginia’s offensive line brings tons of experience and chemistry to the table. However, they still can’t match the depth and talent of the team at the top.
1. Miami: Zion Nelson (LT), Jakai Clark (LG), Corey Gaynor (C), DJ Scaife Jr. (RG), Jarrid Williams (RT); John Campbell Jr. (OT), Ousman Traore (OG/C), Navaughn Donaldson (OT/OG), Cleveland Reed Jr. (OG), Kai-Leon Herbert (OG), Zalon’tae Hillery (OT), Jalen Rivers (OT), Chris Washington (OT), Gavin Adams (OG), Issiah Walker (OT), Jared Griffith (OG), Laurence Seymore (OG), Michael McLaughlin (OT), Ryan Rodriguez (C/OG)
The Hurricanes take the top spot in the Coastal not only because their line brings experience, chemistry, and depth to the table but also because they have several players that will be playing on Sundays in the near future. Zion Nelson started every game in 2019, lost the job in 2020, then won it back after five games, and now is a possible first-round prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft. Jakai Clark has started ten or more games at both guard spots for Miami. Corey Gaynor returns for a third season as the starting center, where he has one of the better players at the position in the conference. DJ Scaife has started at both right guard and right tackle for the last three seasons. Finally, Jarrid Williams enters his sixth season in college football and second for Miami after transferring from Houston; he’s an excellent pass protector that should get drafted in April.
In addition to tons of experience among the starters, Miami has several former starters that are now backups. John Campbell Jr. began 2020 as the starting left tackle but missed the majority of the middle of the season. Navaughn Donaldson racked up over 2000 snaps from 2017-2019 but missed the vast majority of 2020 while rehabbing from injury; he’s huge (6’6”, 350 lbs), but he’s not as good of a fit in Miami’s fast-paced spread offense. Ousman Traore started two games at left guard in 2020 and could fill in there in a pinch. Jalen Rivers played in seven games as a true freshman in 2020 but will probably see the field even less in 2021. Cleveland Reed Jr. played in seven games as well as a redshirt sophomore. Kai-Leon Herbert and Zalon’tae Hillery are redshirt juniors who did not play in 2020 but have experience from past seasons.
Chris Washington and Gavin Adams got on the field for a couple of games as true freshmen but preserved their redshirts; Isaiah Walker redshirted last year as well but did not see any action. Jared Griffith is a redshirt sophomore that has yet to see the field. Laurence Seymore is one of Miami’s top-rated recruits this year, as a consensus four-star prospect and top-ten guard nationally. Michael McLaughlin and Ryan Rodriguez are two more low-four/high-three-star recruits who will probably redshirt this year. Miami’s offensive line group is incredibly deep and has tons of talent among the starters, earning them the top spot in the division.