Introducing the CFB Saturdays College Football OT Rankings

Over the next few weeks we will be unveiling our College Football player rankings by position. Today we will take a look at our College Football OT rankings. A few notes before we discuss the rankings themselves.

• The rankings will be updated throughout the season.
• Players who have not played college football are not eligible for the rankings.
• Players are graded on their college ability, not their pro potential.
• We are judging players on their film, production and physical tools.

You can view the college football OT rankings here.

The Best of the Best

Oregon‘s Penei Sewell is the clear cut top ranked tackle in the country. Sewell is elite in every sense of the word, he has excellent size, strength and length. His feet are exceptional and he moves really well for anyone, much less a guy who is 6’6″ 325 lbs. Sewell did not allow a sack as a sophomore in 2019 and will look to continue his strong play protecting the blind side for the new Oregon quarterback. There is no weakness in Sewell’s game he excels in pass protection and as a run blocker. This is a generational player fans in Oregon should enjoy in 2020, because he will by playing on Sundays in 2021.

3rd ranked Alex Leatherwood out of Alabama could have went pro after the 2019 season but chose to stay in Tuscaloosa and sure up his position at the top of the draft. Leatherwood has good size and strength, his base is very strong making him difficult to move off his spot. He excels as a run-blocker and is already a good pass blocker. He still needs to work on his pass blocking technique but is able to handle most pass rushers. Leatherwood has a chance to clean up his technique and become a stalwart on the offensive line. In any other year he would have a good chance to become number 1 on this list.

Sam Cosmi of Texas is our 4th ranked tackle. Cosmi has the length and feet to be a star at tackle. He is quick and gets into his pass sets quickly, he has good bend and plays with good balance in pass protection. He has a good frame but needs to continue to get stronger and add mass to that frame. Cosmi is a young player and should be able to add the necessary weight and strength to be a star. There is some projection in this pick, but Cosmi played well enough in 2019 and has the tools to be even better in 2020. We are comfortable that Cosmi will live up the high ranking we have given him.

Bookends

Walker Little (2) and Foster Sarell (22) from Stanford provide the Cardinal with an excellent pair of tackles for the 2020 season. Little is a prototypical Left Tackle, he excels in pass protection and likely would have gone pro had he not gotten hurt in his 1st game of the 2019 season. Little bends well and has good feet at his size. A healthy season will go a long way towards cementing his status as a stud left tackle. Foster Sarell is an excellent pass blocker as well who could very well be the left tackle if he wasn’t on the same team as Little. He is an excellent pass blocker and an improving run blocker. Sarell and Little will provide excellent protection for Quarterback Davis Mills in 2020.

Kentucky‘s Darian Kinnard (6) and Landon Young (14) helped pave the way for the 4th ranked rushing offense in the country in 2019. Kinnard is in his element as a run blocker driving defenders off the line of scrimmage and creating holes for the ball carrier. He is solid in pass protection but did not have the chance to showcase those abilities as much in 2019 due to the run heavy offense Kentucky was forced to run. Young was a star recruit who could have left for the NFL after 2019, but opted to return and showcase his pass blocking ability more in 2020. This will likely prove to be a wise decision as there will be more opportunity to highlight this aspect of his game next season. Young has good athleticism and solid length and will represent himself well in this regard.

Notables from the College Football OT Rankings

Iowa‘s Alaric Jackson (7) has been a multi-year starter at Iowa. Iowa has a history of good offensive line play and Jackson continues that tradition. He is a strong pass blocker who has good size (6’6″ 320 lbs) and feet. Jackson suffered an injury early in 2019 and appeared to be hindered by it even after he returned. When he is at his best Jackson is a good pass blocker and an above average run blocker. He is a strong player that should continue to develop as a run blocker. With some coaching and development Jackson can become a dominant player in 2020. There is work to be done still but the tools are clearly there.

Cole Van Lanen from Wisconsin is number 11 on the list. A list of top offensive linemen would likely be incomplete without a representative from Wisconsin on it. The Badgers have been developing lineman as well as anyone in the country. Van Lanen is a mauler in the run game who fires off the ball well and overpowers his opponents. He is much more comfortable in the run game than the pass game but has made progress in this area. He needs to get better at establishing position quickly so he does not get caught leaning. Van Lanen has a lot of ability and is at a great place to get the coaching he needs and become a star right tackle.

Ranked 12th is Christian Darrisaw of Virginia Tech. Darrisaw has started 25 games at Virginia Tech and has been a strong player in the run game and the pass game. He has decent size for a tackle (6’5″ 311lbs), but has good feet and punch. Darrisaw delivers blocks with authority, making him an asset in the run game. The better pass rushers may give him some trouble as he is not as long as some of his counterparts on this list, but Darrisaw has good technique and plays the game with an attitude we love. Look for him to continue to develop and become a star at Virginia Tech in 2020.

Daniel Faalele (16) of Minnesota is easily the biggest player on this list at 6’9″ 400 lbs. When you see Faalele on the football field its almost like seeing one of the monstars from Space Jam. But don’t let the size fool you, Faalele can move those feet and is a quicker player than you would expect. He overpowers defenders in the run game and is a nightmare when he gets his hands on you. Faalele has worked hard on getting into his pass sets quicker and improving his footwork. He is very raw and is relatively new to the game but the former basketball and rugby player is a natural on the football field. As he learns to mix quality technique with his other worldly athletic and physical gifts the sky is the limit.

Oklahoma‘s Adrian Ealy comes in at #21 in our college football OT rankings. Ealy became a full time starter in 2019 and did not disappoint. He has good size at 6’6″ 328 lbs and was solid at the right tackle position all year. There were some consistency issues and Ealy was a bit nicked up down the stretch but the tools are there for Ealy to become a good tackle. He plays with good strength but needs to get better at staying balanced in his pass sets. Ealy was a first year starter in 2019 but should grow in 2020 and become a strong player for the Sooners.

Click here for the Top 25 OT Rankings.

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