Trojans awfully strong upfront

It might be surprising to find USC atop the offensive line list, considering the departures since the 2005 season. But the Trojans are the only team that can boast two returning players who earned All-America mention last fall. Junior Sam Baker has started every game at left tackle for two consecutive years and was third-team AP All-America in ’05. Center Ryan Kalil also enters his third year as a starter after earning second-team All-America honors from SI.com and CollegeFootballNews.com. Jeff Byers, the 2003 Gatorade National Player of the Year as a high school senior, returns to the guard position he had nailed down as a true freshman for the final four games of 2004 before missing last season with a hip injury. Coach Pete Carroll can fill in the blanks with tackles Kyle Williams and Charlie Brown, and guards Matt Spanos and Chilo Rachal.

2. Texas

Tackle Jonathan Scott and guard Will Allen have departed Austin, but the O-Line talent keeps pouring in. Justin Blalock anchors the 2006 Longhorn line. He has started 38 straight games at right tackle and is a returning third-team AP All-American. Greg Dolan participated in eight games as a redshirt freshman last fall and serves as insurance at tackle. Guard Kasey Studdard, riding a string of 25 consecutive starts, and center Lyle Sendlein, who started all 13 games in 2005, are entering their fifth year in the program. Junior Tony Hills, a 6'6", 295-pound former high school tight end, has played 18 career games and will replace Scott at left tackle. Cedric Dockery should fill the vacancy at right guard with no dropoff.

3. Oregon

The strength of the 2006 Oregon Ducks will be their offensive line, where all five starters return to the unit that cut its sacks allowed total from 41 in 2004 to 20 last season and paved the way for an attack that finished among the nation’s leaders in passing, scoring and total offense. The line is spearheaded by center Enoka Lucas, the unit’s emotional leader with 20 career starts. Left tackle Max Unger was a Freshman All-American last year and is an All-Pac-10 candidate as a sophomore. A pair of highly rated junior college transfers — Pat So’oalo and Fenuki Tupou — are breathing down the necks of returning starters Josh Tschirgi and Palauni Ma Sun at the guard positions.

4. Arkansas

In 2005, Arkansas led the SEC in rushing for the third time in the last four seasons, and four full-time starters return to the O-Line, plus a 2004 starter (tackle Zac Tubbs) who missed all but the first game of ’05 with an ankle injury. Tubbs, a 6'6", 335-pound fifth-year senior, is one of the best linemen in the SEC when healthy. Tony Ugoh is back at left tackle, where he has started started 21 of the last 22 games. Jonathan Luigs, a Freshman All-American last fall, moves from guard to center to replace the graduated Kyle Roper. Junior Robert Felton switched from guard to tackle last year because of Tubbs’ absence; he now goes back to guard, his natural position, where he started as a 2004 freshman. Stephen Parker will hold down the other guard job for a third straight year.

5. West Virginia

The West Virginia coaching staff has a knack for producing formidable offensive lines. There is no other way to explain the Mountaineers leading the Big East in rushing each of the last four years. But for the graduation of first-team all-conference tackle Garin Justice, their offensive line would be ranked even higher. Dan Mozes returns after a first-team All-Big East, second-team AP All-America campaign and is the nation’s best center. Coach Rich Rodriguez has praised Mozes’ qualities as a leader and passion for the game. At the guard spots are Jeremy Sheffey, a second-team All-Big East returnee, and Ryan Stanchek, a Freshman All-American last year. And Rodriguez can choose from a wide selection of game-tested talent to fill out the starting unit.

6. Clemson
7. Iowa
8. Fresno State
9. Oregon State
10. Auburn

6th Annual Athlon Awards
Quarterbacks – Published Thursday, June 29, 2006
Running Backs – Published Friday, June 30, 2006
Receivers – Published Saturday, July 1, 2006
Offensive Line – Published Monday, July 3, 2006
Defensive Line – Published Tuesday, July 4, 2006
Linebackers – Published Wednesday, July 5, 2006
Defensive Backs – Published Thursday, July 6, 2006