Following a long spring of camps, 7-on-7s and combines, the Rivals.com rankings for the 2021 class have been released. Offensive line is next in our look at a position-by-position breakdown of the updated rankings.
Class of 2021 Offensive line rankings: Tackle | Guard | Center
Rivals Rankings Week:
Tuesday: 2021 Rivals100 revealed | Vandagriff No. 1 | Mind of Mike
Wednesday: 2021 Offensive position rankings
Thursday: 2021 Defensive position rankings revealed
Friday: 2021 State rankings revealed
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TEAM WITH THE TOP COMMIT: Notre Dame (Blake Fisher)
The Irish have done an excellent job producing offensive linemen in recent years and that track record was one of the many reasons Fisher decided to jump into the boat this early in the process. The nation’s No. 14 overall player, Blake Fisher is well within shouting distance of five-star status and will be fighting to earn it in the coming months.
The class of 2021 is a big one for the Irish as they are likely to add at least a few offensive linemen and are starting out swinging for the fences with other elite talents. With recent success stories such as former five-star and first-round draft pick Quenton Nelson to pitch to recruits, the Irish are now having success recruiting nationally at the position and securing a talent in their backyard early is a great start.
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TEAM TO WATCH: Texas
The Longhorns have put an emphasis on keeping top talent close to home and this could be one of the best years ever for offensive line talent in the state if the early rankings are any indication.
The two highest-ranked offensive tackles in the country are both from the Lone Star State in Savion Byrd (No. 7) and Tommy Brockermeyer (No. 10), and five members of the Rivals100 are offensive linemen from Texas. The Longhorns will obviously have a lot of competition, especially from rivals Oklahoma and Texas A&M, but Texas has a great shot to lock down the trenches for years to come if it can keep the top talent close to home.
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PLAYER TO WATCH: Savion Byrd
Byrd doesn’t do a lot of talking about his recruitment, which makes him even more of an enigma, especially given his exceptional skills. In the early going, Texas appears to be heavily in the mix and perhaps is shaping up as the favorite, but Byrd will become a national name for coaches around the country and receive the attention that goes with it.
If he should choose to let his recruitment play out nationally, it will be a hotly-contested affair. If he decides to shut down things early and commit to the ‘Horns, it could be the start of a special class in Austin. Where Byrd visits in the coming months and this fall could be telling, especially with Texas A&M, Nebraska and several others working to get him back on campus.
