How 5-star OL prospects have performed in the SEC over the past decade
When constructing a football team, one proven philosophy is to build from the inside out.
That’s particularly true in the physical SEC.
By focusing on the offensive and defensive lines, teams can dictate the style of play and allow other players on the field to operate relatively unimpeded.
An impenetrable offensive line can make skill players look better. After all, even a small army holds an advantage behind castle walls.
For this reason, 5-star offensive linemen are some of the most coveted prospects on the recruiting trail. A fleet-footed left tackle or a road-grading right guard can change the game in subtle, yet important, ways.
In the past 10 years, there have been 35 prospects who have earned a 5-star designation from the 247Sports Composite Ranking. Of those 35, 18 – or 51.4 percent – have played in the SEC.
With National Signing Day quickly approaching — and four more 5-star linemen heading to the SEC — we decided to take a look at just how many of those 5-star linemen panned out for their teams.
2006
Andre Smith – OG, Alabama: Smith was the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect coming out of high school, and one of the few 5-star guards in the past decade. At Alabama, Smith made the transition to left tackle, where he started every game as a true freshman. Smith was named a unanimous All-American in 2008 and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the sixth overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
Carl Johnson – OG, Florida: Johnson redshirted his first season on campus, but he showed his versatility by playing three positions on the line during the 2007 season. From 2008-10, Johnson started in 33 games for the Gators and was a key part of their championship offensive line. Johnson was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2011.
2007
James Wilson – OT, Florida: Wilson’s career at Florida didn’t go as many had hoped. The nation’s No. 2 offensive line prospect redshirted his first season and dealt with several injuries throughout his six years on campus. Wilson started only 16 games for the Gators with 11 of those starts coming in his final season.
2008
Tyler Love – OT, Alabama: Although Love was a highly-touted prospect upon arrival at Alabama, he left without leaving much of an impact. Like Wilson, injuries plagued Love’s career; he played in only 14 games with no starts before leaving the program in 2012, forgoing his final year of eligibility.
2009
Xavier Nixon – OT, Florida: Nixon started the last five games of his freshman season, becoming the first true freshman to start at left tackle for Florida since Reggie Green in 1992. He was named to the 2009 SEC All-Freshman Team for his efforts. During his career, Nixon started in 33 games at tackle for the Gators. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2013.
D.J. Fluker – OT, Alabama: Fluke redshirted in his first season, but he became a mainstay on the Tide’s offensive line in his second year. Fluker started 36 games during his career and missed only three contests due to injury. As the starting right tackle for back-to-back national championship runs, Fluker was an integral part of the Tide’s success. He was selected with the 11th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers.
Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
2010
Ja’Wuan James – OT, Tennessee: As full-time starter right out of the gate, James went on to start all 49 games for the Vols during his career. James began his time at Tennessee with All-SEC Freshman Team honors, and he ended it with a spot on the Associated Press All-SEC Second Team. James justified his recruiting hype and was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 19th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
2011
Cyrus Kouandjio – OT, Alabama: Kouandjio played in eight games for Alabama as a true freshman before his season was cut short due to injury. As a sophomore, he started every game at left tackle and proved to be one of the Tide’s best run blockers. Kouandjio earned first-team All-SEC honors after his junior season. At various points of his college career, it appeared that Kouandjio would be a first-round draft pick, but he was selected in the second round by the Buffalo Bills in the 2014 NFL Draft.
La’el Collins – OT, LSU: Although he didn’t start as a true freshman, Collins made an impact in his limited time. He earned a starting job as a sophomore and led the team with 64.5 knockdowns at left guard. Collins transitioned to left tackle as a junior, where he started 25 games over his final two seasons with the Tigers. After his senior season, Collins was named first-team All-SEC by the coaches and the AP.
Christian Westerman – OT, Auburn: After redshirting during his freshman year, Westerman played in only two games as a sophomore before requesting a transfer after the 2012 season. Westerman landed at Arizona State, where he started 25 games at left guard in his final two seasons. He was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team after his senior year.
2012
D.J. Humphries – OT, Florida: Humphries started three games as a true freshman for the Gators. He was the team’s starting left tackle for Florida’s first six games in 2013 before a knee injury cut his season short. Humphries missed two more games due to injury in his junior season, but he started the other 10 contests and declared early for the 2015 NFL Draft, where he was selected 24th overall by the Arizona Cardinals.
Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
John Theus – OT, Georgia: After starting all 14 games at right tackle for the Bulldogs as a true freshman, Theus was named to several All-America freshman teams. Theus would start in 48 games for Georgia during his college career, leading the way for several top-flight running backs. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
2013
Laremy Tunsil – OT, Ole Miss: Tunsil started in nine games at left tackles as a true freshman, earning freshman All-America honors in the process. He started 17 more games over the next two seasons for the Rebels and became one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the SEC. Tunsil was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.
A’Shawn Robinson – OT, Alabama: Despite holding a 5-star rating as an offensive tackle, Robinson became one of the SEC’s top defensive linemen for the Crimson Tide. Robinson led the team in sacks as a true freshman and ended his career with nine sacks and 22 tackles for a loss. Detroit selected Robinson in the second round of the 2016 draft.
Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
2014
Cam Robinson – OT, Alabama: Robinson became the team’s full-time starter at left tackle as a true freshman and went on to start every game during his Alabama career. He was named a freshman All-American in 2014 and a unanimous All-American in 2016. Robinson earned the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman during 2016.
2015
Martez Ivey – OT, Florida: Ivey started in the final eight games for the Gators in his first season and was named to the SEC Coaches All-Freshman team. As a sophomore, Ivey started every game as part of a resurgent effort for the Gators offensive line.
2016
Gregory Little – OT, Ole Miss: The nation’s No. 3 overall prospect played in all 12 games for Ole Miss as a true freshman and started the last five contests. Little was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.
Jonah Williams – OT, Alabama: Williams became arguably Alabama’s best offensive lineman as a true freshman. After starting every game at right tackle for the Crimson Tide, Williams was named a Freshman All-American by USA Today and ESPN.
All rankings courtesy of 247Sports Composite
