Individual Position Rankings

It’s an eternal truth of football that offensive linemen don’t get their share of credit.

Sure, they’ll get referenced from time to time, usually as a homogeneous unit, five parts of one faceless whole. And when they do get individual recognition, there’s a decent chance it’s because they got caught holding or a procedure penalty.

Life as a lineman never has been easy.

That goes double for the guys lined up inside. While offensive tackle has morphed into the superstar position of the trenches, the guards and centers continue to toil in relative anonymity.

But without the strength of the guards and the leadership of the centers, no offense stands a chance. So today, we share a little of the spotlight with the big boys.

Here’s our list of the top 10 interior linemen in the SEC heading into the 2015 season.

10. Brandon Kublanow, C/G, Georgia: After starting at guard last season, Kublanow is opening camp as the Bulldogs’ top option at center. That versatility could suit him and Georgia equally well, as Kublanow’s size (6-3, 282) may play best at center, and the Bulldogs need a leader at the position following the departure of David Andrews.

9. Jashon Robertson, G, Tennessee: Robertson wasted no time jump-starting his collegiate career. After opening practice as a defensive tackle last year, he made the switch to offense, took over at right guard, and started all 13 games as a true freshman. In the process, he earned All-SEC Freshman accolades, as well as Freshman All-American mentions from ESPN and Phil Steele. The Vols will be looking for more strides from Robertson this season as improvement is needed up front if the Vols hope to challenge for a division title.

8. Mitch Smothers, C, Arkansas: The fifth-year senior is back for his second season as the Hogs’ starter at center after playing a pivotal role in Arkansas’ punishing ground game last fall. A savvy veteran, Smothers was only penalized twice in 2014 and opens the 2015 campaign on the Rimington Award watch list.

7. Alex Kozan, G, Auburn: Kozan cracked the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman in 2013 and earned Freshman All-SEC honors, but a back injury forced him to miss the entire 2014 season. He’s expected to be fully healthy for the upcoming season and has been named third-team All-SEC by the conference media.

6. Ethan Pocic, G/C, LSU: One of three returning starters on the Tigers offensive line, Kocic bounced back and forth between guard and center last season and could do the same this year. Regardless of where he’s lined up, the 6-foot-7 junior will be LSU’s stalwart on the interior.

5. Sebastian Tretola, G, Arkansas: Though he might be best known to fans for throwing a touchdown pass last season, Tretola’s reputation as a punishing run blocker is already well established after one season in the SEC. Along with left tackle Denver Kirkland, Tretola, a former junior college transfer, could form one of the best left sides in college football this season.

4. Evan Boehm, C, Missouri: Boehm enters 2015 headed for a fourth year as a starter, a rarity for offensive linemen. After winning the starting job at guard during his true freshman season, he moved to center in 2013 and has been there ever since. In sum, he’s started 40 straight games for the Tigers. A preseason third-team All-SEC pick, Boehm is a road grader and will be central to Missouri’s chase for a third straight division crown.

3. Mike Matthews, C, Texas A&M: There’s no doubting the bloodlines. Matthews is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews and the younger brother of former first-round pick Jake Matthews. Now a senior, Mike Matthews has carved out his own name in College Station; he’s entering his third season as the Aggies starter at center and is a preseason second-team All-SEC pick.

2. Greg Pyke, G, Georgia: The fact that the Bulldogs averaged 6.0 yards per carry last season isn’t just attributable to the caliber of their elite running backs. Pyke, a 6-foot-6, 313-pound junior, stepped into the starting role at right guard last season and proved to be a one of the top linemen on the team, if not the entire conference. He’s back at right guard again for 2015 after earning second-team all-conference honors last fall, but  a move to left tackle is also a possibility should the need arise, according to reports out of Athens on Tuesday.

1. Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama: Entering his third season as the Tide’s starter at center, Kelly finds himself as the leader of a unit that will have to replace three starters from last season. From what he’s shown thus far in his career, Kelly appears up to the task. Last season he missed just seven assignments in 806 snaps and did not allow a sack. He enters the 2015 season as the only interior lineman on the All-SEC first team as selected by the league’s media.