Ranking Nation's Best Offensive Lines: Elite Oregon Ducks Unit

Ranking the best offensive line units in college football heading into the 2024 season

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. (76) against the Liberty Flames / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

EUGENE - The offensive line is one of the least appreciated but most important position groups in football. With as drastic of disparities as exist in college football between the elite and bottom-feeder offensive lines, it will be critical for Oregon to be at the height of their game as they vie for a national title this season.

Today we’ll rank the top five offensive lines in college football and see how Oregon stacks up.

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. (76) against the Liberty Flames / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

1) LSU Tigers

LSU’s offensive line took some heat last year for how much Heisman-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels was hit, but this is largely attributable to his mobile play style. The Tigers return two elite offensive tackles from last year’s unit in Will Campbell and Emery Jones as well as both starting guards in Garrett Dellinger and Miles Frazier.

Campbell and Jones are both regarded as first round-caliber prospects for next year’s National Football League Draft and they figure to be two of the best in the country this season.

2) Texas Longhorns

Coach Steve Sarkisian’s rebuild of the Texas program has not shied away from building the offensive line and the process is paying off. The Longhorns boast one of the best offensive tackles in the country in Kelvin Banks and also return center Jake Majors and former five-star prospect DJ Campbell. Look for Texas to be a powerhouse on the offensive line this year and for that to boost everything they do offensively.

3) Alabama Crimson Tide

New head coach Kalen DeBoer both inherited and did his part to bolster what should be one of the best offensive lines in the country this season. All-American transfer Parker Brailsford came to Alabama from Washington with DeBoer and will join elite left tackle Kadyn Proctor, a five-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle. While some shuffling will need to be done to offset the loss of JC Latham to the NFL, Alabama has all the depth and talent needed to do just this.

4) Oregon Ducks

Head Coach Dan Lanning’s offensive line unit has arguably the best tackle tandem in the nation with junior Josh Conerly Jr. and former Rhode Island transfer Ajani Cornelius. Both were among Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded offensive tackles in 2023 and should be even better this year.

Conerly Jr. and Cornelius will bookend former Freshman All-American center Iapani Laloulu and Indiana transfer Matthew Bedford while the left guard spot figures to rotate more than the others.

5) Miami Hurricanes

Oregon fans have their share of thoughts on the offensive chops of head coach Mario Cristobal whose Ducks offenses stalled at times in his tenure in Eugene. What can’t be doubted is his acumen on the offensive line as Miami has recruited at an elite level in the trenches and put quality results on the field already.

Freshman All-American right tackle Francis Mauigoa returns for his sophomore season and will be one of the best in the nation as a mauling run-blocker. On the left side, Jalen Rivers and former five-star recruit Samson Okunlola will battle for the weak-side tackle spot while Indiana transfer Zach Carpenter finds his fit on the interior.

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius (65) against the Liberty Flames / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

As one of the hardest positions to field a good unit at, teams with high-end offensive line play have a huge leg up on the competition in college football. Oregon finally looks to be in the elite group at the position and it should pay dividends for their offense in 2024.