Size Matters: College Football’s Biggest Offensive Linemen of 2019

We’re taking our annual trek through college football, sizing up the offensive lines. Literally.

We take a look at the bulkiest offensive line groups in the FBS. But does size translate into success? Let’s see.

The old adage “bigger is better” sometimes applies, but you may alter your thinking a bit or confirm your opinion after see the numbers below. But it’s no surprise that the average size of an offensive line continues to expand.

An average starting o-lineman in the FBS is nearly 6-foot-4 1/5 and weighs 306 pounds. One interesting statistic centers on USC, once known to produce jumbo sized linemen. The Trojans averaged 321 pounds per starter in 2016 but the program has downsized significant;y in that department. This year’s USC front averages 307 per man.

Looking at the preseason top 25, only three programs are below the national norm – Michigan State very slightly, Texas nearly nine lbs. below average and South Carolina a smidge short:

1-Alabama, 6’5″ 321.6 lbs.
2-Clemson, 6’3.8″ 325 lbs.
3-Georgia, 6’4.4″ 330 lbs.
4-LSU, 6’4.4″ 323.4 lbs.
5-Michigan, 6’4.8″ 323.8 lbs.
6-Ohio State -6’5.2″ 308.4 lbs.
7-Oklahoma, 6’4.8″ 321 lbs.
8-Florida, 6’4.6″ 312.4
9-Texas A&M, 6’5″ 313.2 lbs.
10-Auburn, 6’4.6″ 307.6 lbs.
11-Utah, 6’4″ 309 lbs.
12-Oregon, 6’4″ 318.6
13-Notre Dame, 6’5.6″ 308.8
14-Michigan State, 6’4.8″ 305.8 lbs.
15-Texas, 6’4.4″ 297.4 lbs.
16-Penn State, 6’4.6″ 319.6 lbs.
17-Mississippi State, 6’4.8″ 332 lbs.
18-Iowa, 6’4.6″ 306 lbs.
19-TCU, 6’4.4″ 307.2 lbs.
20-Washington, 6’5.6″ 310.2
21-Washington State, 6’5″ 306
22-Miami, 6’4.2″ 314.4 lbs.
23-South Carolina, 6’3.6″ 307.4 lbs.
24-USC, 6’4.6″ 307
25-Missouri, 6’5.6″ 324 lbs.

If you’re wondering which programs are the heftiest, here are the top 25 according to size:

1-Minnesota, 6’6″ 337 lbs.
2-Mississippi State, 6’4.8″ 332 lbs.
3-Georgia, 6’4.8″ 330
4-Clemson, 6’3.8″ 325
5-Missouri, 6’5.6″ 324 lbs.
6-Michigan, 6’4.8″ 323.8 lbs.
7-Indiana, 6’4.8″ 323.6 lbs.
8-LSU, 6’4.4″ 323 lbs.
9-Alabama, 6’5321.6 lbs.
10-Oklahoma, 6’4.8″ 321
11-San Diego State, 6’4.6″ 321 lbs.
12-Penn State, 6’4.6″ 319.6
13-Tennessee, 6’4.8″ 319.2
14-Oregon, 6’4.4″ 318.6
15-Arizona State, 6’4.8″ 317.8
16-Kentucky, 6’5.2″ 317.4
17-Marshall, 6’4.6″ 315.8 lbs.
18-Louisville, 6’3.8″ 315.2 lbs.
19-UTSA, 6’4.8″ 315 lbs.
20-Kansas, 6’5″ 314.6
21-Miami, 6’4.2″ 314.4
22-Arkansas State, 6’4″ 314.4
23-Texas Tech, 6’5.4″ 314
24-North Carolina, 6’5″ 314 lbs.
25-UNLV, 6’3.2″ 314 lbs.

How about the biggest conferences? Well, if you just browsed through the above list, you should be able to figure out which conference is biggest:

SEC, 6’4.8″ 315.7 lbs.
Big Ten, 6’4.6″ 310.7 lbs.
Big 12, 6’4.8″ 309.5 lbs.
ACC, 6’4.3″ 308.9 lbs.
PAC-12, 6’4.5″ 307.3 lbs.
Independent, 6’4.8″ 304.1 lbs.
Mountain West, 6’4.2″ 303.6 lbs.
CUSA, 6’3.6″ 303 lbs.
MAC, 6’5.1″ 301.8 lbs.
Sun Belt, 6’3.6″ 301.6 lbs.
AAC, 6’4.2″ 300 lbs.

This is the way the state of Louisiana FBS schools rank:

LSU, 6’4.4″ 323.4 lbs.
La. Tech, 6’4.8″ 311 lbs.
ULL, 6’4.2″ 308.2 lbs.
ULM, 6’4.2″ 307.4 lbs.
Tulane, 6’5″ 304 lbs.

Just in case you’re thinking which college fronts are the smallest, we’ve got that for you as well.:

1-Navy, 6’3″ 278.6 lbs. per starter
2-Air Force, 6’3.4″ 282 lbs.
3-Appalachian State, 6’3.2″ 284.8 lbs.
4-Army, 6’3.6″ 286 lbs.
5-Central Michigan, 6’4″ 286.8 lbs.
6-Middle Tennessee, 6’3.2″ 288 lbs.
7-Nevada, 6’4″ 291 lbs.
8-Georgia Southern, 6’3.6″ 291 lbs.
9-Wake Forest, 6’4.8″ 291 lbs.
10-Kent State, 6’4.2″ 291.4 lbs.

And finally, I always give you my All-HUMONGOUS team. This group comprises a truly super-sized lineup, consisting of the biggest of the bigs in the trenches (so we have some d-linemen, too):

Evan Neal, freshman OT at Alabama, 6’7″ 360 lbs.
Jalen Cunningham, freshman OT at Ole Miss, 6’4″ 369 lbs.
Quinton Bohana, Kentucky’s 6’4″ 361 nose tackle, and his backup Marquan McCall at 6’3″ 370
Nick Lewis, freshman backup LT at Kentucky, 6’9″ 367 lbs.
Florida freshman LG Ethan White, 6’5″ 392 lbs.
Indiana sophomore RT Caleb Jones, 6’8″ 360 lbs.
Louisville junior LT Mekhi Becton, 6’7″ 365 lbs.
Oregon State senior NT Elo Aydon, 6’3″ 365 lbs.
Ohio State freshman OT Dawand Jones, 6’8″ 360 lbs. (also had basketball offers from Kent State, Ball State and Bowling Green)
Texas Tech freshman OT Trevor Roberson, 6’11” 355 lbs. (nope, not a basketball center for Chris Beard)
No. Carolina State freshman backup NT Joshua Harris, 6’4″ 360 lbs.
UCLA tarting sophomore NT Atonio Mafi, 6’2″ 363 lbs.
San Diego State starting RT freshman William Dunkie, 6’5″ 355 lbs.
The right side of Minnesota’s o-line, sophomore tackle Daniel Faalele (6’9, 400) and freshman guard Curtis Dunlap (6’5″ 370)
John Krahn, Portland State OT, 6’10” 410 lbs.

Our honorary high schooler is sophomore Kiyaunta Goodwin, 6’7″ 370 lbs. at Holy Cross in Louisville, Kentucky (has offers from LSU, Alabama, Florida State, Rutgers, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Louisville).

The biggest college football players in Louisiana for 2019:

ULM senior LG Devin Jackson, 6’5″ 354 lbs. (Edna Karr High alum)
ULM sophomore RG T.J. Fialoa, 6’4″ 360
ULM senior OT Joquarios Savage, 6’6″354
La. Tech junior LT Willie Allen, 6’6″ 342 (former LSU signee and John Curtis product)
LSU sophomore NT Tyler Shelvin, 6’3″ 342
LSU freshman OT Anthony Bradford, 6’5″ 367
LSU freshman NT Apu Ika, 6’3″ 350
LSU freshman OG Kardell Thomas, 6’3″ 328
Grambling junior OT John Allen, 6’2″ 370
Southern junior OT Mason Sims, 6’4″ 341

And just to prove that sometimes size doesn’t always matter, here are some undersized starters on offensive lines (and one small snapper):

Adam Klein, sophomore RT, Temple, 6’5″ 264
Dylan Parham, sophomore LG, Memphis, 6’3″ 256
Ford Higgins, senior center, Navy, 6’2″ 260
Griffin Hicks, redshirt freshman deep snapper, No. Carolina State, 6’1″ 159 lbs.