Texas A&M’s 2022 season was marred by a combination of inexperience, subpar play, and injuries, and the offensive line was no exception to this reality. However, the looming 2023 season offers a fresh slate with heightened expectations.
Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus ranked the best offensive lines entering the 2023 season, and with a handful of experienced returners from the last few seasons, the Aggies found themselves firmly within the top 10 rankings. Now, even the most loyal Texas A&M fan should understand that while the praise and confidence in this unit is welcomed, this unit still carries some notable question marks given last year’s struggles.
According to Football Outsiders, the Aggies’ offensive line ranked 64th in sack rate (6.3%) and 101st in run stuff rate (19.9%) in 2022, which measures the percentage of carries by running backs that are stopped at or before the line of scrimmage. Injuries and inexperience played an influential role in the unit’s underwhelming performance and it showed in the numbers. Texas A&M finished with a dull 50.0 pass-blocking grade and an overall 53.1 passing grade, per PFF.
However, the hope is that the injury bug does not rear its ugly head once more in 2023, and coupled with the fact that last year’s trials gives this unit a bevy of experience to learn from, it does set them up nicely to bounce back. To aid in those efforts, the Aggies have added some depth up front after landing former Boston College lineman Finn Dirstine.
Additionally, as just one of eight FBS programs set to return all five starters, the offensive line could have the benefit of affinity in comparison to other programs, which seek to bolster their front units via the transfer portal.
Below is the breakdown of how every program that finished in Chadwick’s top 10 offensive line rankings stacks up against each other, based on projected starters as well as returners from the 2022 campaign.