Rivals Rankings Week: Storylines to follow with top 2025 offensive linemen

The Rivals250 for the 2025 class has been updated and now it’s time to break down each position. We conclude the offensive positions today by looking at four big storylines moving forward with the offensive linemen rankings.

NEW 2025 POSITION RANKINGS: Pro-Style QB | Dual-Threat QB | Running Back | All-Purpose Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Offensive Tackle | Offensive Guard | Center

*****

RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK

Sunday: Who should be No. 1?

Monday: Five-Star Countdown | Meet the new five-stars

Tuesday: New Rivals250 unveiled | Gorney goes position-by-position | Biggest risers

Wednesday: New offensive position rankings released | QB rankings breakdown | RB rankings breakdown | WR/TE rankings breakdown | OL rankings breakdown

Thursday: New defensive position rankings released | DL rankings breakdown | LB rankings breakdown | DB rankings breakdown | ATH rankings breakdown

Friday: New state rankings released | Who is No. 1 in each state?

Saturday: Roundtable on the new Rivals250 rankings

*****

Seven new five-stars were crowned in the latest Rivals250, moving the total up to 24 overall to date, and offensive linemen still occupy the most spots within that group with five. Four are tackle projections, still led by David Sanders, who checks in as the nation’s top line recruit on either side of the ball at No. 3 overall. Fellow uncommitted tackle Michael Fasusi sits at No. 11, with Tennessee commitment Douglas Utu on his heels at No. 12 overall.

The influx of new five-stars creates a gap until Florida State commitment Solomon Thomas checks in at No. 22 overall, as the nation’s top guard, before Ohio State commitment Carter Lowe rounds out the five-star group as the No. 24 recruit in the country. Alabama commitment Ty Haywood is now the highest-ranked four-star in the class at No. 25 overall. There could be several risers to eye as the season begins, especially at tackle, with six more prospects at the position in the top 100.

Among the top offensive linemen in the Rivals250, most have already come off the board. Of course the top two tackles sit undeclared as of this writing, though it won’t last beyond next week. Top-ranked tackle David Sanders is set to commit on Aug. 17 and Michael Fasusi will follow suit on Aug. 21.

Sanders has a final four of Georgia, Nebraska, Ohio State and Tennessee going into his selection, and the buzz has moved all over the place after his summer visit slate. At one point, the Bulldogs and Buckeyes looked like they would pull in yet another five-star in the trenches, but Nebraska and Tennessee got two of the most recent visits. The Vols may now be projected as the team to beat ahead of the weekend pick.

Fasusi looked like a near-lock to consider the in-state programs, Texas and Texas A&M, atop his list for some time. But after the summer visit swing, including several official visits, there is considerable buzz for Oklahoma as more than a dark horse in this race. Fasusi had previously been considered a Texas lean, so how much ground have the Sooners really made up in their latest five-star recruiting battle?

The more the cycle unravels, the more it has revealed true depth at the tackle position. For this update, it means more have climbed up the ranks to challenge the current group of five-stars. The closest among the risers is towering Alabama commitment Michael Carroll, who will play his senior season at IMG Academy under the national spotlight. He is now at No. 30 overall in the Rivals250 following a banner offseason, highlighted by a near MVP performance at the Rivals Five-Star at the end of June.

Notre Dame commitment Will Black is another fast riser to track, up into the top 50 overall at No. 49. Undeclared Kansas native Andrew Babalola is up more than 20 spots at No. 62 overall, followed by one of the biggest risers in the class regardless of position in Ziyare Addison. The Oregon commitment is now listed as a top 10 tackle at No. 70 overall, jumping up nearly 100 spots in the Rivals250. The Floridian was another offseason star as he settles into the position, where he has as little experience as any blue-chipper in the class heading into his senior season.

Speaking among the very best, the offseason circuit helped to highlight more interior types that pushed up the rankings ahead of their senior season. The top guard and center in the class haven’t moved in some time, with Solomon Thomas and SJ Alofaituli occupying the top spots once again. Thomas could have the most competition to track this fall at guard, with risers such as Oregon commitment Alai Kalaniuvalu, Michigan pledge Avery Gach and Miami-bound Max Buchanan on his heels.

Kalaniuvalu is a riser despite not being considered a top-two lineman on his own prep roster at Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman. Gach jumped up 24 spots following a stout MVP performance at the Rivals Five-Star, where he narrowly edged Buchanan after each put in impressive showings against the nation’s best. Gach took more tackle reps and Buchanan, who jumped more than 50 spots to No. 131 overall, commanded the inside while competing in Jacksonville. Micah Debose (Alabama), Dontrell Glover (Georgia), Josh Petty (Georgia Tech), Devin Harper (LSU) are also within the top 150 nationally as guard looks deeper than it has in some time.