Rivals Rankings Week: Storylines to follow with top 2026 offensive linemen

The Rivals250 for the 2026 class has been updated and now it’s time to break down each position. We move to the offensive line by looking at four big storylines moving forward.

NEW 2026 POSITION RANKINGS: Pro-Style QB | Dual-Threat QB | RB | All-Purpose RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C

As has been the case for more than two months, Cantwell not only resides on top of the offensive line rankings – in a class seemingly stronger at the top by the day – but he of course occupies the top overall spot in the Rivals250 regardless of position.

There is a rising group of quarterbacks, led by Ryder Lyons, right on the heels of the big tackle from Missouri but Cantwell put in a dominant 2024 campaign on the field and continues to project as perhaps the safest bet in the entire class at this stage of the evaluation.

Whether it’s the sheer domination against competition he showed at a listed 6-foot-8, 300 pounds, the multi-sport status or the Olympic pedigree the Cantwell family has built, there is so much benefit of the doubt in this scouting report. If he can continue to hold off the top arms it will result in the first top-ranked prospect being projected along the offensive line in Rivals history.

Offensive linemen dominate the 2026 Rivals250, as per usual, with tackle representing the largest portion of blockers to get the nod, with two dozen prospects projected to play the position making the cut. Two are new to the party in Felix Ojo and Adam Guthrie.

A three-sport standout from the state of Texas, Ojo is one of the biggest risers in the entire class regardless of position, making his debut in the ranking at No. 76 overall. Good for the No. 8 spot among OT projections, Ojo’s athleticism and 80-inch wingspan push the ceiling of this evaluation that much higher. A banner junior season, helping the offer list reach 40 programs, showcased well above-average pass-blocking skills and he still has considerable room to fill out and strengthen his head-turning 6-foot-7 frame.

Guthrie is also a multi-sport standout, checking in from the state of Ohio, with basketball in his background. It helps him translate as a plus athlete on Friday nights with good bend for his size. His recruitment has picked up momentum in similar fashion as the boosted ranking, sitting at No. 194 nationally, as more and more programs covet his improved skill set.

Listed at 6-foot-6 and 292 pounds, 30 programs have already jumped in with a scholarship for Guthrie with several SEC elites and in-state power Ohio State among the most recent to do so.

Offensive tackles dominate the offensive line conversation, and rightfully so with their premium value at the next levels and relative to the NFL Draft, but the elite prospects inside are also very strong at the top of the rankings.

Lamar Brown is one of the more fascinating two-way evaluations in the class, but he prefers offense and looks like a stout interior talent as a guard projection at this time. The Louisianan is in five-star range as the No. 18 overall recruit in addition to sitting as the top-ranked guard at this stage. Texas A&M is viewed as the team to beat against longtime favorite and in-state power LSU.

Further inside, Grant Wise has had a recent hold on the top center projection. He is a Miami legacy with a who’s who list of scholarship offers thanks to dominant Friday night efforts and just as appealing runs as a state-level powerlifter. Few college snappers have been able to lean into the projection at such an early stage despite working dominant right and left tackle varsity reps. Wise is also well-traveled, earning a new offer at just about every college camp he hit in the offseason, so this race is still far from over with SEC, ACC and Big Ten programs pushing.

In any given recruiting cycle, the no-nonsense approach to the offensive line position can lead to early commitments. Landing that coveted local offer or working out for the dream school and getting that green light can help classes get off to strong starts in the trenches — something nobody told the class of 2026 apparently.

Of the more than 30 offensive tackle, guard and even center position projections in the fresh Rivals250, only two have made verbal commitments as of mid December. Each is headed to a playoff program with four-star Kevin Brown committed to Penn State and fellow blue-chipper Kodi Greene off the board to reigning Big Ten champion Oregon. This novelty won’t last into the New Year, but there are more prospects committed at just about every other position group in the 2026 cycle thus far.