BYU heads into the 2022 college football season with a combined 90 career starts among its returning offensive linemen.
That’s good news for a group headlined by left tackle Blake Freeland and left guard Clark Barrington, and is joined this season by former five-star prospect Kingsley Suamataia, a transfer from Oregon.
The Cougars’ offensive front was recently ranked the nation’s sixth-best offensive line by Pro Football Focus’ Max Chadwick, and here’s why.
“Three starters return on the Cougars’ offensive line, which was the only unit in the country to grade above 90.0 in both pass protection and run blocking. Blake Freeland is PFF’s No. 6 tackle after posting a 91.6 pass-blocking grade last year, the best in the country among returning tackles,” Chadwick wrote.
“Another name to watch is Kingsley Suamataia. He was a top-40 recruit in the 2021 class and transferred from Oregon midway through last season. The redshirt freshman is currently in a battle for BYU’s starting right tackle spot this season.”
Chadwick’s ranking of the top 10 offensive lines in the country also comes with a caveat for BYU fans, though, and a challenge for the team’s defensive front: the Cougars will face three of the top five offensive lines on the list.
That includes Notre Dame (No. 2 on Chadwick’s list), Baylor (No. 4) and Arkansas (No. 5). All three teams are ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25.
BYU’s fourth preseason ranked opponent, Oregon, is also listed as an honorable mention top offensive line by Chadwick.