Where Does Texas Offensive Line Rank Nationally?

The Texas Longhorns have one of the best offensive lines in the SEC, but where does it stack up against the rest of the nation?

Nov 18, 2023; Ames, Iowa, USA; Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. (78) plays against the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports / Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

The Texas Longhorns are stacked across the board on offense heading into the 2024 season.

Not only do they have one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in Quinn Ewers coming back for his third season under center, but they also have two of the top running back and receiver units in college football as well.

However, the best positional group for the Longhorns might actually be upfront on the offensive line, where Pro Football Focus ranked Texas as the No. 4 unit in the country, headlined by star left tackle Kelvin Banks.

"Texas returns four starters on its offensive line, headlined by junior left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. The 6-foot-4, 324-pound junior finished the 2023 season as the sixth-most valuable tackle in the nation, according to our wins above average metric, and he is the second-best returning tackle in college football." PFF wrote. "Expect to hear his name called in the top 10 of next year’s draft. The Longhorns also bring back the entirety of their interior in Hayden Conner, Jake Majors, and DJ Campbell. Cameron Williams will likely fill in at right tackle after not allowing a single pressure on 49 pass-blocking snaps as a sophomore.

Texas came in behind Alabama, Georgia, and LSU, and just ahead of Oregon at No. 5.

So what makes Texas such an elite line? The return of four of their five starters, including Banks and the entire interior of the line with DJ Campbell at right guard, Jake Majors at center, and Hayden Connor at left guard certainly helps.

However, while returning experience is of paramount importance, it is also not the only thing that has the Horns sitting so high on the list.

Texas will also be inserting Cameron Williams at right tackle, which in terms of pure talent, should be an upgrade over the recently drafted Christian Jones.

On top of that, the Horns also return a substantial amount of talented depth to the fold as well, with Cole Hutson, Connor Robertson and Neto Umeozulu on the interior, and Trevor Goosby and Jaydon Chatman at tackle.

In other words, heading into a league like the SEC where dominance in the trenches is arguably the biggest factor in a team's success, the Horns look to be in fantastic shape on the offensive end.