National Signing Day by position: Top OL classes

With National Signing Day in the rearview mirror, Rivals.com takes a look at which schools did the best work at each specific potion group. Today, we take a look at the nation’s top offensive line classes.

MORE NSD BY POSITION: Top TE classes | WR classes | RB classes | QB classes

CLASS OF '18 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | State | Position | JUCO

The overall recruiting champion is also the offensive line recruiting champion. These things tend to happen. After all, you have to recruit well across the board to assemble a historic class like Kirby Smart did in Athens. The haul was headlined by No. 1 guard Jamaree Salyer, but landing Rivals100 tackle Cade Mayes, a lifelong Tennessee fan that grew up in the same state as his favorite college, was even more impressive. UGA landed five offensive linemen in total, but the sheer strength of the top prospects landed it in the No. 1 spot.

Ohio State dipped into Florida to steal the nation’s top tackle in Nick Petit-Frere. And while the relative small size of the Buckeyes’ offensive line haul hurt its ranking, all three of its members belong to the Rivals250. It’s hard to argue with the efficiency. Brooklyn-based Matthew Jones chose Ohio State over 16 other offers, including ones from Clemson and Alabama.

Three of the four offensive linemen that signed with Penn State were rated four stars. The highest ranked of the group, tackle Rasheed Walker, was the No. 65 player in the country and chose James Franklin’s program over offers from Florida, Georgia, LSU and others. Juice Scruggs and Nana Asiedu round out the top of the class. Bryce Effner, the one offensive lineman that failed to reach four-star status, possesses incredible length and packs an incredibly high upside for a project recruit.

One of the deepest offensive lien classes in the country. South Carolina signed six players at the position. Four of the six were rated four-star prospects, and tackle Dylan Wonnum was ranked as the No. 115 overall prospect in the country. The fact that the Gamecocks blended top-flight talent with impressive depth lands them high on this list. The six players that inked with South Carolina hail from five different states and all have the frame and ability to add muscle going forward. Rivals250 guard Maxwell Iyama landed offers from Georgia and Tennessee before choosing the Gamecocks.

The Sooners’ class is anchored by in-state prospect Brey Walker, who brushed up against five-star status before falling just short in the final rankings update. Joining Walker in OU’s 2018 class is No. 1 junior college offensive lineman Tramonda Moore, who has the size and skill to make a difference in Norman immediately. All three of OU’s offensive line signees will hit campus weighing more than 300 pounds.

Rivals100 tackle Penei Sewell weighs 340 pounds and almost qualifies as a recruiting class of his own, but he’s joined on Oregon’s signee list by another lineman with a nearly identical weight. Rivals250 guard Steven Jones weighs is listed at 335 pounds and has the size to join Sewell on the list of instant impact recruits. Three-star prospects Christopher Randazzo, Dawson Jaramillo and Justin Johnson provide the Ducks’ six-member class with quality depth.

Miami’s top 5 class was built around skill position players, but the offensive line group it put together was also impressive. The group was led by tackle Delone Scaife, who dominated the camp circuit prior to a solid senior season. Like Ohio State, the Hurricanes didn’t have the deepest class of linemen, but the three players it signed all project as difference-makers. Four-stars Cleveland Reed and John Campbell join Scaife as names that could contribute to the next step of Miami’s resurgence.

Maryland signed four offensive linemen, including four-stars TJ Bradley and Evan Gregory. The 6-foot-7 Bradley’s strength is his impressive size, while Gregory, a much shorter tackle, packs the versatility to play a number of spots along the line. Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland’s third four-star offensive linemen, chose the Terrapins over offers from Florida, Michigan, Penn State and others. Maryland’s haul may not have the top-end talent of some of the other schools featured on this list, but depth is what makes it special.

LSU signed four offensive linemen, the most impressive of which was 6-foot-6 junior college tackle Badara Traore. Traore figures to make a mark during his first season in Bator Rouge, but he’s certainly not the only physical specimen in the class. Texas-based guard Chasen Hines is the top high school lineman in the class and has the size to play early in his SEC career. Three-star tackle Cameron Wire brings incredible length to the class, and his 6-foot-7 frame makes him one to watch.

The Gators’ O-line group is headed up by Richard Gouraige, who the Gators had to work hard to keep in the fold down the stretch. The No. 84 player in the country, Gouraige has an NFL frame and fits a position of need for UF. Four-star juco transfer Noah Banks also has the size and the skill to slide into a starting role from the jump in Gainesville. Three-stars Griffin McDowell and Chris Bleich provide the group with depth as the Gators look to rejuvenate a stagnant offense.