It’s never too early to begin looking at the next stars of college football, so welcome to the Sophomore Spotlight. Each week Rivals national data analyst Austin Cochran will highlight a number of prospects from each position who made our initial 2027 Rivals250.
We continue this week looking at offensive linemen.
SOPHOMORE SPOTLIGHT: Scouting top 2027 quarterbacks | Running backs | Receiver | Tight ends
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Top 100
TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker
Player comp: Lane Johnson
Adams is an extremely long-armed, athletic specimen. He moves very well for a big guy and has really quick feet. He plays with good leverage and is a good people mover in the running game with a strong punch. The four-star prospect wins as a pass blocker with his length and athleticism.
Adams has so much raw ability and is full of potential, but still has a lot of room for improvement. He needs to improve his pass blocking mechanics and footwork, and he needs to add weight, which will come naturally as he continues to develop.
Tennessee, Florida State and Kentucky are among the programs that have already extended an offer to Adams. He has also visited Tennessee and Clemson so far this season, so you can see that people are very intrigued by him and his crazy athleticism. As he continues to develop and grow into his body, more and more teams will come calling.
Player comp: Terron Armstead
Ford has all the tools you need at the tackle position. The four-star prospect also plays basketball, so he is a great athlete with very quick feet. He is a road grader in the run game and plays with great leverage. He has good length and great athleticism as a pass blocker to lock up defenders.
Ford needs to improve his pass blocking technique. He relies too much on his athletic ability to win, which he won’t be able to do at the next level, but he is still developing and growing and has all the potential in the world.
With 16 total offers currently, Ford is a top target for a lot of programs across the country. With his athleticism, if he continues to develop his technique and mechanics, he will undoubtedly be one of the most sought after prospects in the 2027 class.
Player comp: Peter Skoronski
Hildebrand is probably the most technically sound prospect in this class of offensive linemen. He has great feet with good pass pro mechanics. The four-star has great strength and a very strong initial punch. He has solid size and length, but I wouldn’t be surprised if at the next level he was moved to the interior of the O-Line.
Hildebrand has picked up 14 offers so far with his most recent one coming from Nebraska. He appears to be a pretty turn-key prospect who I feel can contribute to a team immediately, so I expect more programs will be calling soon.
Player comp: Trevor Penning
Hiller is the kind of lineman that I love to watch: big, strong and plays nasty. He loves the physicality of run blocking and goes crazy every time he drives his guy to the ground, which is most plays. He’s got great size and strength for his age and moves really well. Hiller plays with great leverage and is the definition of a road grader but also boasts solid technique in pass pro.
The four-star prospect put together a great sophomore season and has picked up offers from Texas A&M, Missouri and Alabama in recent weeks. He has also taken visits to Penn State and Ohio State this season.
Player comp: Will Campbell
Swanson may be just a sophomore, but he plays like a grown man. He has great strength for someone his age and does an excellent job moving bodies in the run game and stone-walling guys in pass pro. Swanson has good feet and good pass pro mechanics and does a really good job of using his length to his advantage. He plays both guard and tackle so he has some position flexibility which is always a plus for coaches.
So far, Brian has offers from Texas, Texas A&M and Oregon. He visited Texas A&M to see Aggieland over the weekend.
Linemen with his size, athletic ability and position flexibility are always very coveted players. Swanson has a ton of ability and potential, and I believe he will continue to be at the top of a lot of recruiting boards.
