Stacking the offensive line board in the 2024 Top247 rankings embodies the work-in-progress approach the entire process requires. O-linemen of all varieties usually take longer to climb the board than other positions given the physical requisites and the time and maturation needed in younger football players to develop them.
This 2024 cycle is no different, and while it’s still viewed as a lighter cycle on high-end offensive line prospects compared to some recent years, certain names have started their ascension. Perhaps by February, the annual end-of-cycle finish line for the Top247 rankings, this O-line class could change that belief?
During the summer, 247Sports released a Top247 that featured only one offensive lineman — five-star tackle Brandon Baker — in the first 55 spots. When projecting long term to the NFL Draft, such a dearth of offensive linemen is simply not realistic. We never want to overemphasize position value, but we knew we must scour the class for more big bodies who deserved to rise into the first three rounds — Nos. 1-105 in the Top247.
Thursday afternoon’s updated Top247 features Baker, plus four new tackles and the new No. 1 interior OL projection to the top 64, which reflects the first two rounds of an NFL Draft projection. So those first two rounds that held one offensive lineman in the summer Top247 update now house six.
A cornerstone of one of the country’s elite high school offensive lines at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei, Baker (No. 27 overall; Texas commit) retains the coveted No. 1 tackle label but could face competition in the cycle’s stretch run. Baker owns a 7-foot wingspan and plays as, perhaps, the most polished offensive line prospect in this class. He does everything well and possesses an exceptionally high floor thanks to his encouraging movement ability and technical acumen.
Jordan Seaton (No. 28) ascends from a third-round projection to a first-round, five-star grade (98) in this update. The Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standout combines the requisite size with simultaneous strength and athleticism.
“With his play as a senior and body transformation, we had to get Seaton in the five-star discussion and No. 1 OT debate,” said Cooper Petagna, 247Sports national recruiting analyst. “He’s quick-twitch explosive with good foot and body quickness. Seaton is heavy-handed and capable of moving defenders off the ball, while sustaining and finishing when necessary.”
Dillon (S.C.) High School’s Josiah Thompson (No. 39 overall; South Carolina commit) represents one of the nation’s highest-ceiling offensive line prospects. Thompson’s senior year has shown more conviction and a hotter motor. A lean, long, athletic player with immense bulking capacity, Thompson plays with hyperactive feet that combine with his length to foster mirroring of edge speed. In other words, faster rushers have a tough time circumnavigating Thompson because of his athleticism and reach. Previous areas of concern reveal improvement, such as knee bending, punching versus catching, and hand placement.
Jason Zandamela (No. 40 overall; USC commit) now sits in the No. 1 IOL spot as he rises 20 spots overall to an early-second-round projection. Zandamela represents a true center prospect whom we are excited about. He’s a relative newcomer to football with the physical traits and athletic ability to provide an extremely high developmental ceiling.
“Zandamela was born in Mozambique and moved to the U.S. in October 2020,” said Andrew Ivins, 247Sports director of scouting. “He grew up playing rugby. Zandamela’s sophomore year at Clearwater (Fla.) Academy International was his first year playing football.”
“Elite profile for a center, but Zandamela could also cross-train at guard if needed,” Petagna added. “Excellent length and athleticism with the abilities to bend, recover, and redirect. Zandamela plays naturally in space at the second level and comfortably pulls and traps, and he regularly shows outstanding balance and body control, while also playing with power and anchoring ability.”
Two more tackle projections ascend into the top 64: Andrew Sprague (No. 54 overall; Michigan commit) and Daniel Calhoun (No. 64 overall; Georgia commit). Sprague possesses an excellent profile in regards to a long-term NFL Draft projection at tackle. A 6-foot-8, 295-pounder, Sprague also plays basketball, which certainly enhances his body control and overall athleticism. Additionally, the Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst standout owns experience on both sides of the ball on the gridiron, a frequently shared trait among drafted linemen. He plays with active feet upon contact and while maintaining engagement. Sprague flashes pop in his hands, plays with great effort, and looks for extra work. While his center of gravity is naturally high, he does his best to get his hips involved and get some leverage on his targets.
Whereas Sprague is a relatively svelte 6-foot-8 tackle with immense frame space, Calhoun already owns enormous mass at 6-foot-6 1/2, 365 pounds. Balance and body control are works in progress, as is flexibility, but Calhoun often puts everything together, especially in pass protection — which is a pleasant surprise considering young, massive O-linemen often thrive in the run game and can be hit-and-miss players in pass pro. That’s not the case with Calhoun, who plays with power in his hands and forces a huge orbit for arc-running pass rushers. He has also gotten limited defensive tackle snaps for Marietta (Ga.) Walton and looks like the type of OT who could become a 10-year NFL right tackle.
JacQawn McRoy (No. 77 overall; Oregon commit) is another massive human high on the offensive tackle board. So is Bennett Warren (No. 86 overall; Tennessee commit). Guerby Lambert (No. 81 overall; Notre Dame commit) wears his mass particularly well, but he’s north of 300 pounds, too. But Blake Ivy (No. 93 overall; Texas A&M commit) gives you an into-the-top-100 riser with a relatively smaller build and high developmental upside derived from exceptional length: a 7-foot-1-plus wingspan at 6-foot-3 1/2, 280 pounds. Ivy brings value to a roster in his potential for position flexibility.
Cooper Cousins (No. 119 overall; Penn State commit) and Fletcher Westphal (No. 121 overall; Florida commit) join Marques Easley (No. 133 overall; Georgia commit) as big risers on the IOL and OT boards. DeAndre Carter (No. 122 overall; Auburn commit) is one of the very most college-ready offensive linemen in the country, a 6-foot-4, 340-pound high school tackle who projects as a polished, physical guard in NFL Draft terms. Carter teams with Baker on that lethal Mater Dei offensive line.
High-ceiling developmental tackles who really excite us include Top247 newcomers Garrett Sexton (No. 161 overall; Penn State commit), Andrew Rosinski (No. 190 overall; North Carolina commit) and Rustin Young (No. 209 overall; Oregon State commit). More players of that same archetype exist outside the updated Top247 and could continue to rise — such as new four-star Kaedin Massey (Kansas State commit) and new high-three-star, 89-rated Carter Lavrusky (Kansas commit).
Speaking of new 89-rated linemen, a couple of 300-pound tackles in Mike Williams (Florida commit) and Isaiah Autry (Oklahoma commit) look markedly improved this fall. Autry jumps in the high-three-star range from 87 to 89, while Williams, like Lavrusky, makes a seismic ascension to that highest-three-star 89 rating from a mid-three-star 85 grade.
One thing to keep in mind about the vast majority of names mentioned above — and the O-line names you will find in the updated Top247 in general — is multi-sport participation. From basketball to throws, power lifting and other endeavors, multi-sport profiles remain highly important in projecting high school offensive line talent to the NFL Draft.
Today’s midseason Top247 update leaves only a couple more broad-scale Top247 releases in the 2024 class. In regards to the offensive line positions, one goal we will probably want to achieve is more IOL projections higher the board. The battle at the top for the No. 1 OT spot remains in play, and while Zandamela claims a firm grasp on the No. 1 IOL spot, you can never rule out late-cycle adjustments fueled by the second half of senior seasons and the ever-important all-star game context, where linemen on both sides of the ball get highly valuable “good-on-good” exposure they may not otherwise experience during the high school season.
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Make no mistake, what we have seen so far this fall adds priceless context to what we knew about this offensive line class entering the season. Let’s see how the group shakes out in a few months.
