2019 Preseason All-American Projections: Offensive Tackles

By Charlie Campbell
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Heading into the 2019 college football season WalterFootball.com will debut our projections for the nation’s leaders during the fall. The All-American teams always have some surprises and the stars of next fall could be the headlining players next April in the 2020 NFL Draft.

First-Team Offensive Tackles:

Andrew Thomas, Georgia

Over the past two seasons, Thomas has provided a big impact for Georgia at the point of attack. He has been a power run blocker for the potent rushing offense while also being a reliable pass protector for Jake Fromm. Thomas was very impressive at right tackle as a true freshman, starting there all season and helping the Bulldogs to produce a dominant rushing attack. In 2018, he moved to the left side and once again excelled.

Multiple team sources mentioned being impressed by Thomas, and that goes back to his showing as a freshman. He could have franchise tackle potential for the NFL, and if he dominates as a junior like he is capable of doing, he could end up being the most acclaimed offensive lineman in college football this fall.

Trey Adams, Washington

Team sources have compared Adams’ size and athleticism to Taylor Lewan coming out of Michigan, and also said Adams has good technique to go with his impressive skill set. They think that the 6-foot-7, 309-pound Adams is bigger with better range than Connor Williams and more athletic ability than Mike McGlinchey. Another thing that impressed sources was how Adams played against Alabama in the first round of the college football playoff a few years ago. They say that Adams shut down the Crimson Tide defenders anytime he was isolated on them. That Alabama defense featured three dangerous pass-rushers in the form of Jonathan Allen, Tim Williams and Ryan Anderson. Adams has a great skill set with a lot of athletic ability. However, he has major problems staying healthy. In October of 2017, he tore an ACL, which caused him to return to Washington, and last year, he missed a large portion of the season because of back surgery. If Adams can stay healthy this year, he should earn a lot of honors as he has a relatively easy schedule while playing for a good team.

Second-Team Offensive Tackles:

Walker Little, Stanford

Little was impressive as a freshman starter at left tackle for Stanford in 2017. He did an effective job in run blocking and helped Bryce Love to a huge season. Little was solid as a sophomore and showed an improved ability to protect the passer, doing a respectable job in keeping pressure off of quarterback K.J. Costello. At the point of attack, Little is strong and does a nice job of sustaining blocks. He has good length to him with a developed frame. Stanford has a reputation for tough players at the point of attack, and that should help Little to get a lot of postseason honors if he has another good season protecting Costello.

Tre Smith, Tennessee

Smith had a strong sophomore season for Tennessee prior to missing the final five games of 2018 with blood clots in his lungs. The issue first impacted Smith during workouts after his freshman season. After being held out for some time, Smith returned to practice in training camp and played the first seven games of the 2018 season while showing his impressive skill set for the Volunteers. Smith’s status for 2019 is in question, and as of June of 2019, head coach Jeremy Pruitt was not ready to say if Smith would play in 2019, but Smith is working with his medical team in hopes of playing again. Obviously, Smith has to play and maintain his caliber of play to be a high draft pick, but when he plays, he has been excellent, so earning All-American honors is very possible.

Third-Team Offensive Tackles:

Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn

Wanogho earned the starting left tackle job in 2018 and got better as the season progressed. He has a lot of upside with a good skill set of size, athleticism and quickness. In 2017 ,Wanogho had a rough start to the year against Clemson and was eventually removed from the starting left tackle job. Scouts have told me that Wanogho has an excellent skill set. He is very raw and needs to be coached up, but he has a ton of potential and flashed that last fall. If he continues to improve, Wanogho could be one of the top linemen in college football in 2019.

Calvin Throckmorton, Oregon

Throckmorton is a good college blocker who has been a mainstay on the field for the Ducks with an active streak of over 38 straight starts after breaking into the lineup as a redshirt freshman. He showed improvement as a junior while also displaying impressive versatility with six starts at right tackle, five at left tackle, one at center, and one at right guard. Along with his flexibility, Throckmorton has showed improved strength, filling out his frame over his time at Oregon. With a lot of eyes on Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, Throckmorton should get noticed and could earn a lot of postseason honors for doing a good job of protecting his high-profile signal-caller.

Honorable Mentions: Louisville’ Mekhi Becton, Missouri’s Yasir Durant, Texas’ Sam Cosmi, TCU’s Lucas Niang, Ohio State’s Thayor Munford, Kansas Hakeem Adeniji, Alabama’s Alex Leatherwood, Washington’s Jared Hilbers and Houston’s Josh Jones.