Despite a few exceptions, such as the UCF Knights losing all five starting OL, the interior offensive lines in the Big 12 are as fearsome as any, with teams like the Cincinnati Bearcats and Oklahoma State Cowboys returning all five starters and reining supreme with versatile super seniors.
With most having just one season left in an extended collegiate career, let’s look at where they stand against each other in the 2024 Big 12 IOL Rankings.
2024 Big 12 IOL Rankings
10) Gavin Gerhardt, C, Cincinnati Bearcats
A two-year starter at center, Gavin Gerhardt has spent the last four years with the Bearcats, starting each of the last 25 games. He earned an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention last season as a key member for one of the top rushing attacks in the conference.
The 6’4, 317-pound senior is back for a fifth season as one of the leaders for a strong OL unit.
9) Josh Baker, C, Arizona Wildcats
A starter since his true freshman season in 2020, Josh Baker has manned the middle of the Wildcats OL without missing a start the last two years. The 6’3″, 310-pound center from Eureka, Montana, paved the way for freshman QB Noah Fifita’s successful season guiding the fourth-best scoring offense in the Pac-12 (34.6 points per game).
Switching coaches and conferences, Baker offers the Wildcats some stability amidst a plethora of changes
8) Connor Pay, C, BYU Cougars
Following five consecutive winning seasons from 2018-2022, BYU underperformed last year, finishing with a 5-7 record. Connor Pay was the starting center for most of those winning seasons for the Cougars, and the regression last year didn’t sit right with him.
He opted to take advantage of his extended eligibility and return to Provo for a fifth season. Listed at 6’5″, 312 pounds, Pay has definite pro aspirations, but he is holding off on the NFL to help the Cougars right the ship in 2024.
7) Michael Ford Jr., RG, Kansas Jayhawks
The Jayhawks proved Kansas is more than a basketball school with a 9-4 record last season, the program’s first winning record since an 8-5 finish in 2008. Michael Ford Jr. played through many losses with 36 career starts since 2020, but he felt the warm embrace of the winner’s circle helping pave the way for the fourth-highest scoring offense in the Big 12 last season (34.8).
Ford Jr. is back for a fifth and final season with the Jayhawks hoping to keep winning a trend in Lawrence.
6) Tank Jenkins, RG, Houston Cougars
Spending his first two seasons with the Texas A&M Aggies (2018-2019), Tank Jenkins has been in the mix on the Cougars’ OL since 2020. He played over 1,000 snaps and started all 14 games at RG in 2021 when Houston finished 12-2.
Jenkins was a backup RG in 2022, but took back the starting role last season, allowing three sacks and committing just one penalty in 12 starts (696 snaps). As a staple for Houston OL in the previous regime, he’ll help usher in the Willie Fritz era as a sixth-year senior.
5) Michael Mokofisi, RG, Utah Utes
Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham recently described Michael Mokofisi as a “mainstay” at right guard. Coming from Whittingham, who has been a mainstay for Utah since 2005, that’s high praise.
Mokofisi has started at guard every game in the last two seasons, with 25 starts on the right side and one on the left in 2022. The 6’4″, 325-pound junior is one of several OL returning to the Utes to help protect seven-year QB Cameron Rising.
4) Joe Michalski, C, Oklahoma State Cowboys
A sixth-year senior, it took Joe Michalski four years to break through into the Pokes’ starting lineup full-time, and he made the most of it when he got there.
He started every game at center — 954 snaps — allowing zero sacks on 539 pass-blocking opportunities. His top-notch pass-blocking is paired with elite run-blocking instincts that helped pave the way for the conference’s leading rusher, Ollie Gordon II.
After earning a 2023 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention nod, Michalski is back in 2024 as the top center in the 2024 Big 12 IOL Rankings.
3) Luke Kandra, RG, Cincinnati Bearcats
Luke Kandra initially left his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, to play for Louisville, appearing in 21 games with two starts for the Cardinals from 2020-2022. He backtracked and returned to Cincinnati to play for the Bearcats last season, starting all 12 games as the Bearcats finished with the Big 12’s third-best rushing offense (217 yards per game).
A CFN 2023 All-Big 12 Second Team selection, the 6’4″, 323-pound hometown hero is one of several starters back for a ferocious offensive line.
2) Jarrod Hufford, RG/LG, Iowa State Cyclones
A three-year starter at three positions for the Cyclones, Jarrod Hufford initially started eight games at left tackle for Iowa State in 2021.
He started twice more at LT in 2022 before manning 10 games at RG, and then he split time between RG (three games) and LG (10 games) last season. Hufford earned a 2023 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection from the conference and CFN for his efforts.
A versatile and experienced OL, Hufford returns for a sixth season just shy of the top of our 2024 Big 12 IOL Rankings.
1) Preston Wilson, G, Oklahoma State Cowboys
The Oklahoma State Cowboys are returning all five starters on its offensive line, all of them making the cut on the 2024 Big 12 IOL and OT Rankings.
All five are seniors in 2024, with Preston Wilson the leader of a strong OL pack. A regular starter since 2020, he’s started games at center, tackle, and both guard positions over the last four seasons, starting all 13 games at RG last year.
Another super senior with an abundance of versatility and experience, Wilson makes the grade at the top spot of the 2024 Big 12 IOL Rankings as the lead road grader for Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon II.
2024 Big 12 IOL Rankings | 11-20
11) Cole Birmingham, LG, Oklahoma State
12) Leif Fautanu, C, Arizona State
13) Kolinu’u Faaiu, C, Utah
14) Dartanyan Tinsely, LG, Cincinnati
15) Coltin Deery, LG, TCU
16) Coleton Price, C, Baylor
17) Van Wells, C, Colorado
18) Jim Bonifas, C, Iowa State
19) Jaren Kump, G/C, Utah
20) Kareem Harden, G, Colorado
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