Top 25 Big Ten Offensive Linemen In The Jim Harbaugh Era
There are some landmarks when it comes to coaching careers. College coaches always get judged on their first year, after four seasons when all of "their" players are in place and then usually at five and ten years, if they make it that far. We're at the five-year mark with Jim Harbaugh, so now we can take a look back at how his guys have done compared to the rest of the conference.
Today, we'll take a look at the top 25 offensive linemen in the Big Ten since Jim Harbaugh took over at Michigan.
1. Taylor Decker, Ohio State
Decker got it going right out of the gate at Ohio State and never looked back. He was a consensus All-American in 2015 and was also the Big Ten Lineman of the Year that season along with a Big Ten first teamer. He was viewed as one of the more dominant offensive tackles in the country as a senior and was taken in the first round with pick No. 16 by the Detroit Lions.
2. Billy Price, Ohio State
Price was named the 2017 Big Ten offensive lineman of the year and was an Associated Press second-team All-American the year before that. He was also a first-team All-Big Ten member while at Ohio State and took home the Rimington Award during his final season, which is awarded to the nation's best center. He was drafted by the Rams in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft with pick No. 111.
3. Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin
Ramczyk is an interesting player. He transferred to Wisconsin in 2015 after two seasons at Division III UW-Stevens Point. Before that, he initially enrolled at Division II Winona State in 2012 but did not play. He took classes at Mid-State Technical College after leaving Winona State and before enrolling at UW-Stevens Point. Once at Wisconsin, he became one of the most dominant interior linemen in the country. He was a consensus All-American in 2016 and was also a consensus first-team All-Big Ten member that season. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints with pick No. 32 in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
4. Pat Elflein, Ohio State
Elflein only played against Harbaugh twice but he was a three-time first-team All-Big Ten performer while at Ohio State. In 2016 he was a team captain, a unanimous All-American, the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, the Rimington Award winner and an Outland Trophy finalist. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with pick No. 70 in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
5. Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
In 2017, Wirfs became the first true freshman tackle to start for Iowa in the Kirk Ferentz era. Last year, he was a Big Ten first teamer and the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. He was recognized as either a first-team or second-team All-American by six different outlets and was a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy. He also proved that he was one of the most athletic lineman to ever compete at the NFL Combine with some very impressive numbers. He set a record for his position with a 36.5-inch vertical, tied the record with a 10-foot-1 broad jump and ran a 4.85 40, which was the best time among offensive linemen this year. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with pick No. 13 overall in this year's draft.
5. Michael Deiter, Wisconsin
6. Jack Conklin, Michigan State
7. Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin
8. Beau Benzschawel, Wisconsin
9. Wyatt Davis, Ohio State
10. Jack Allen, Michigan State
11. Ben Bredeson, Michigan
12. Dan Feeney, Indiana
13. Cesar Ruiz, Michigan
14. Michael Jordan, Ohio State
15. Jon Runyan Jr., Michigan
16. Brian Allen, Michigan State
17. Jamarco Jones, Ohio State
18. Mason Cole, Michigan
19. Jonah Jackson, Ohio State
20. Isaiah Prince, Ohio State
21. Erik Magnuson, Michigan
22. Jordan Walsh, Iowa
23. Alaric Jackson, Iowa
24. David Edwards, Wisconsin
25. Sean Welsh, Iowa
