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Rivals Rankings Week: Initial 2022 OL rankings

Tegra Tshabola
Tegra Tshabola (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

As part of Rivals Rankings Week, we examine the new rankings at each position. Next up: Offensive line.

It is incredibly early in the 2022 recruiting cycle and one way to know that is the top 12 offensive tackles, including three five-stars, remain uncommitted. The top five offensive guards are still on the board.

With the 2021 class busy with pledges and the coronavirus pandemic not allowing these prospects to take visits, commitments in 2022 for offensive linemen has been slow.

Still, there is a good deal of news out there and some teams have gotten off to an impressive start.

CLASS OF 2022: Offensive tackles | Guards

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CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS WEEK SCHEDULE

MONDAY: Who should be No. 1 in 2022? | Who should be the top QB? | Who should be the top OT?

TUESDAY: Rivals250 revealed | Four prospects earn fifth star | Mike Farrell's thoughts | Who should be the top APB? | Top CB class ever?

WEDNESDAY: QB rankings | RB rankings | WR/TE rankings | OL rankings

THURSDAY: DL rankings | LB rankings | DB rankings | ATH rankings

FRIDAY: State rankings spotlight

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Teams with top commits: OHIO STATE, NOTRE DAME, LSU

Lucas Taylor
Lucas Taylor (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

None of the three five-star offensive linemen are committed yet. A host of highly-rated four-stars remain on the board, but Ohio State landed a solid prospect in Tegra Tshabola, the highest-ranked offensive lineman committed at No. 108 nationally. The Buckeyes were always considered the frontrunner for Tshabola, who attends West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West, the same school as fellow 2022 Ohio State pledge Jyaire Brown.

Among four-star prospects, there are only three committed in Tshabola, Notre Dame pledge Joey Tanona and recent LSU commit Lucas Taylor. Tanona picked the Irish in late July, which was really not a shocker since he’s an in-state prospect and loves the academics and athletics mix in South Bend.

LSU plucked massive four-star offensive guard Taylor out of Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul’s earlier this week as he picked the Tigers over Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State and others.

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Player to watch: JULIAN ARMELLA

JULIAN ARMELLA
JULIAN ARMELLA (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

Julian Armella is the top-rated offensive lineman in the 2022 class, which also boasts two other uncommitted five-stars in Kam Dewberry and Zach Rice. Armella, the Miami (Fla.) Columbus standout, could have the most interesting recruitment as well.

The feeling is that Florida State is still in the strongest position to land Armella and a rebound season in Tallahassee could be big in getting his commitment. It’s clear the Seminoles still need a ton of help along the offensive line and Armella could see that as an attractive proposition.

But Miami has been recruiting incredibly well recently, Armella goes to school in that city and his mother lives close to the Coral Gables campus. All those factors could be really compelling. And then there is Alabama. The Crimson Tide have dipped into South Florida regularly for top prospects and they’re highly interested in Armella as well. Not a lot of elite prospects say no to coach Nick Saban, so this one could still turn out numerous ways.

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Teams to watch: OKLAHOMA and WISCONSIN

Kam Dewberry
Kam Dewberry (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

Oklahoma could be in store for a massive recruiting haul along the offensive line but to accomplish it the Sooners will have to dip into Texas for some top prospects.

That has never been a major problem before and might not be again as Oklahoma is right in the thick of things for five-star Kam Dewberry out of Humble (Texas) Atascocita, four-star OG Cole Hutson of Frisco, Texas, and C Demetrius Hunter from Orange (Texas) West Orange-Stark. But Texas A&M and many others are involved with all those players and many others throughout the state.

Another team to watch closely is Wisconsin. Anyone who follows college football knows that the Badgers produce elite offensive linemen (just look at the NFL lists) but many of those players were under-ranked in high school and then blossomed in Madison. In the 2022 class, the Badgers could load up with phenomenal in-state prospects who are already ranked relatively high.

At offensive tackle, Whitefish Bay’s Joe Brunner is among the top-six nationally; at offensive guard, Fond du Lac (Wisc.) St. Mary’s Springs’ Billy Schrauth is high on the list; and at center, Hammond (Wisc.) St. Croix Central’s Carson Hinzman is one of the top players at that position. The Badgers will have recruiting battles for all three – especially from Notre Dame for Schrauth – but keeping those players home will be crucial in this recruiting class.

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