Phil Steele's Preseason All-SEC Team

Heaviest, lightest, tallest and shortest SEC offensive lines


Christopher Smith

July 11, 2015 @ 8:30pm



Arkansas generated headlines and infographics across the country in 2014 for fielding the largest starting offensive line in college football or the NFL.

While the Razorbacks remain — well, robust — a few players have cut weight. For example, standout guard Sebastian Tretola had lost 47 pounds as of March, which should help him get off the ball and into the second level on screens. (Don’t worry. Tretola still weighs 322 pounds.)

Arkansas isn’t the only SEC team with a large offensive line, however. We decided to determine the heaviest, lightest, tallest and shortest offensive lines in the league based on the projected starting five for all 14 teams, and the results were oh-so-close.

HEAVIEST: Arkansas, 319.6 pounds
LIGHTEST: Georgia, 292.2 pounds
TALLEST: LSU, 6-foot-5 4/5
SHORTEST: Tennessee, 6-foot-3 2/5

What struck me was that the five largest offensive lines in the SEC all averaged more than 310 pounds. Georgia is the only offensive line in the conference that will enter the 2015 football season with an average offensive linemen at less than 300 pounds.

That’s particularly intriguing considering Arkansas and Georgia may field the best offensive lines in the SEC West and SEC East, respectively. Bigger doesn’t automatically mean better.

Also, it was amazing how similar in height every team’s offensive line is this year. Less than 1.5 inches separates the tallest and 11th-tallest teams in the conference.

The average SEC offensive lineman is somewhere near 6-foot-5 and 308 pounds. It’s no wonder the conference is at its best on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

2015 SEC OFFENSIVE LINES, HEAVIEST TO LIGHTEST

Team Avg. Weight (Pounds)
1. Arkansas 319.6
2. Ole Miss 317.4
3. Florida 317
4. LSU 313
5. Alabama 311.2
6. Texas A&M 309
7. Vanderbilt 308.2
8. Missouri 308
9. Tennessee 306.6
10. Mississippi State 306
11. Kentucky 304.8
12. Auburn 301.6
13. South Carolina 300.2
14. Georgia 292.2
2015 SEC OFFENSIVE LINES, TALLEST TO SHORTEST

Team Avg. Height
1. LSU 6-5 4/5
2. Arkansas 6-5 3/5
3. Auburn 6-5 2/5
T4. Alabama 6-5 1/5
T4. Vanderbilt 6-5 1/5
T4. Mississippi State 6-5 1/5
7. Kentucky 6-5
T8. Florida 6-4 3/5
T8. Texas A&M 6-4 3/5
T10. South Carolina 6-4 2/5
T10. Georgia 6-4 2/5
12. Missouri 6-4 1/5
13. Ole Miss 6-3 3/5
14. Tennessee 6-3 2/5

 

That's an offensive line that Bielema—the guy we've seen people say "can't recruit"—has put together in his three years in Fayetteville.

 

Returning starters help, uga returns 4 of 5, 3 Srs and 2 Jrs. They only had to replace their OC. Returning both OT's and OG's.

Ark also returns 4 of 5, with 2 Srs, 2 Jrs and one Soph. They return both OT's, one OG and the OC. Only replacing the ROG.

LSU returns 3 of 5, depends on where Pocic lines up. Pocic is one of the top 3 players on this entire team. One guy I would hate to see go down. Can do too many things. Grimes will field his best 5 players, where they line up will be something to see. The first game will show, but getting into SEC play so early, we'll see. I like Hawk, Alexander, Pocic and Boutte. Those 4 looked good in the Spring, Clapp did a good job at Center, some say keep Pocic at center, let him make the calls for the line, Clapp is the key if he can handle the position of center. Having Boutte and Pocic at the guards, a couple road graders. Alexander has to handle the ROT position, if not, Pocic will be needed at OT.

 

I was looking over the RSS feed on my site an hour or so ago and noticed FoxSports.com has an article out today about knowing who is going to be on the OL for LSU...not knowing where. Should be an easy enough find though...

One of the reasons I like the UArk offensive line more than UGA's had to do with continuity. Tretola is a JUCO guy playing for UArk but they've had the same guy coaching that line for three years now. Pittman does a pretty good job, in my opinion.

I'm sure you guys realize(d) Rob Sale took over the OL job at UGA in January, right?

 

Yep on the Sale hire, congrats to him.

 

LSU's O-Line knows who will be playing but where is still to be determined
FOX Sports
JUL 12, 2015 10:49a ET




Christopher Hanewinckel / USA TODAY Sports




The LSU Tigers don't try to hide what they are on offense, as they intend to run right at you time and again until you stop them with the occasional play action or quarterback roll out to soften up the defense. Anticipate more of the same this season, as LSU has possibly the most talented running back in the nation. However, the success of Leonard Fournette may very well depend on a reshuffled offensive line this season.

After an outstanding senior season, left tackle La'el Collins is now a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Jerald Hawkins, Vadal Alexander and Ethan Pocic all return after starting up front last season and will be looked upon to clear up running room for Fournette. Following spring practice, redshirt freshman William Clapp also appears to have locked down one of the other starting spots up front. With four players cemented up front, the only question is where these players will line up in the fall.

Former LSU lineman T-Bob Hebert was recently interviewed by Tiger Sports Digest to discuss his thoughts on the offensive line moving forward.

"Ethan's rare," Hebert said. "I'm someone who has an appreciation for playing multiple positions, played all those interior ones. But Ethan is a guy who you can literally line up anywhere from left tackle to right tackle and anywhere in between."

"To play center at 6-foot-7, it's really hard, man. Really hard. That right there speaks to his athleticism. Talk to people around the program and they can't stop raving about work ethic, leadership and his intangibles."

As for Vadal Alexander, who excelled at left guard last season, there has been speculation that he has a desire to kick out to right tackle as Jerald Hawkins is expected to shift from right tackle to left tackle to replace Collins.

"It's hard to judge outside-looking-in. How good is he going to be at right tackle, how comfortable is he out there, how comfortable is the coach with them out there - that's something the coach and the player have to decide based on their relationship," explained Hebert. "Me personally, I've always been of the mind you go where the team needs you. But for a player like Vadal, getting to play out there at tackle is where you're going to get paid more potentially in the NFL."

"It's certainly tempting when you hear Jerald Hawkins and Vadal Alexander on the same side, but I also like the idea of having very experienced bookend tackles."

Putting the pieces in the right spot early will be critical to the team's success this season, as the Tigers travel to Mississippi State in week two. Any misstep could cost them their first SEC loss, as they learned last season against the Bulldogs.

So while the Tigers are confident in the players coming back this season up front, pay close attention to where they play them in the opener against McNeese State and if they shuffle the following week in Starkville.

http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...ng-but-where-is-still-to-be-determined-071215

 

Boutte is one that could make a big splash this year, not one that has his name being thrown around. He looked good in the Spring. When talk of OG's, they talk about in the Phone Booth, means they handle their man inside close quarters. He does this, stays on his feet, keeps his man in front, and with his weight and strength, doesn't get pushed around. This will be his Jr year, will be a major player on the line his Sr year. I want to see what some of the incoming Freshmen look like when the Fall gets here. Long over due as to adding depth on the OL. I don't see many, if any, DL running over Boutte this year, he can handle the position.

 

LSU shunned from Jim Thorpe Award watch list

• Sonny Shipp - 2 hours ago

(Photo: Derick E. Hingle, USA TODAY Sports)
LSU is considered to have one of the better secondary units in the SEC in 2015 and some feel that it could be one of the best in the land.

Oddly enough, LSU did not have a defensive back on the Jim Thorpe Award watch list that was announced on Monday.

There were 42 players that made the list that included only three from the SEC in Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III, Ole Miss safety Tony Conner and Auburn’s Jonathan Jones.

Tre’Davious White was recently ranked the No. 2 cornerback in the country, behind only Hargreaves, with College Football 24/7, and he has also received high praise from several others. However, he did not make the list.

White is entering his third year as a starter for the Tigers and opponents will shy away from his side of the field in 2015. He has started 24 of the 26 games he has played in with 88 tackles, two interceptions and 13 passes broken up.

The same goes for LSU safety Jalen Mills, who was tabbed second-team All-America by Phil Steele and is highly thought of in many circles, but did not make the Thorpe watch list.

Mills enters his senior season having started all 39 games in his career, racking up 186 tackles and six interceptions.

Louisiana was represented on the Thorpe watch list by Louisiana Tech’s tandem of Adairius Barnes and Xavier Woods.

 

Good, nothing like a healthy dose of disrespect to fuel a well deserved shove it up your ass from our secondary as a response