What Does The Lack Of Texas Offensive Lineman Drafted Into The NFL Tell Us?

LSU’s offense:
▪️Had the #1 pick in the NFL Draft
▪️Became the first ever school with a QB, RB & WR drafted in the first round in the same year
▪️All 5 starting OL drafted or signed
▪️7 total draft picks
▪️*Every* draft eligible player was drafted or signed as a UDFA

Unreal.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 26, 2020

I came across this tweet after the draft and was obviously dumbfounded. LSU also had 14 players from their 2019 squad that were either drafted or signed as a free agent. Ridiculous. But the stat that stuck out to me was all 5 starting OL were signed or drafted. Which got me thinking about how bad Texas has been in regards to churning out NFL level offensive lineman over the years.

We all know how unfulfilling Texas has been for the past decade, especially on offense, and no doubt the lack of good offensive lineman talent has to be a main reason for the shitty records year after year.

It’s is no secret that the schools with recent success in the College Football Playoff have way more active NFL offensive lineman:
Oklahoma = 8, Alabama = 12, Ohio State = 10, Georgia = 7

Texas currently has only 1 OL that was drafted in the NFL and still playing, which is Connor Williams, however, even he’s expected to lose his job this year. Trey Hopkins and Calvin Anderson (both undrafted) are the only other offensive lineman still playing in the NFL — Anderson came to Texas as a senior grad transfer.

The good news though is that Texas has had only had 1 year of Herb Hand at the helm. And in that single year has managed to grab solid prospects in Jaylen Garth and Jake Majors. Not to mention duel threat Sam Cosmi who has a solid shot at going very high in the NFL if he can string together 2 more good seasons.

Bottom line, the big guys up front are what makes a college offense go. Without them, you have nothing to build from. Herman knows this and has obviously made it a priority with recruiting and coaching changes. More good lineman equals more wins to me. Also, more athletic lineman leads to more plays like this.