The Decline of Offensive Line Quality in College Football
An analysis of the struggles elite college football programs face in maintaining strong offensive line units amid recent changes in recruitment and player transfer dynamics.
The Decline of Offensive Line Quality in College Football
An analysis of the struggles elite college football programs face in maintaining strong offensive line units amid recent changes in recruitment and player transfer dynamics.
Overview
Less than 48 hours after Washington lost in the College Football Playoff National Championship to Michigan, it was open season on its roster. The primary targets were obvious: the Huskies’ Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line, widely recognized as the best in college football.
Essentially, every scholarship offensive lineman on the team was contacted through intermediaries. It became more complex when it was evident that coach Kalen DeBoer was positioned to succeed Nick Saban at Alabama.
Out of the 10 offensive linemen listed on Washington’s depth chart during the title game, only two remain on the roster; tackles Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten declared for the draft.
Current Trends
Last season, new Washington coach Jedd Fisch started three transfers to fill five spots along the offensive line. The Huskies experienced a fall from No. 17 to 127 in pass blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus, finishing with a 6-7 record. Traditionally, the national runner-up would win at least 11 games the following year. Ever since the integration of Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) laws in 2021, two out of three finalists have finished with losing records the following year.
Modern college football has created a chaotic marketplace that deeply impacts team dynamics. Offensive linemen, viewed as the backbone of football, must be able to collaborate effectively while maintaining immense physical stature. Yet, the current era emphasizes individual talent; transfers and NIL deals complicate this further.
Aaron Taylor, a renowned Notre Dame offensive lineman and CBS Sports analyst, emphasizes that key characteristics such as teamwork and toughness are becoming harder to find. The influx of transfers disrupts team cohesion, hindering both short-term performance and long-term development.
Conclusions
Overall, the transfer portal and NIL regulations continue to reshape the landscape of college football, making it increasingly challenging for teams to build and maintain robust offensive lines.
Quotes:
“Wherever I’ve been, the development of offensive linemen is still the same, but the keeping [of] them is totally different,” says Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman.
- Translation: Developing offensive linemen is consistent, but retaining them has become much more challenging.
