To compete at the top of the FCS, a team needs an elite offensive line. Not a good offensive line. Not a really good offensive line. An elite one.
An o-line that has multiple future pros on it.
While FCS and Group of Five linemen have been commodities in the transfer portal for Power 4 programs looking for immediate depth, several teams bring back an impressive amount of reps.
Here are the top five offensive lines, on paper, entering the 2025 season.
Top 5 Preseason FCS Offensive Lines
5. Rhode Island
Rhody returns 3,700 total snaps from last year’s unit while adding an FCS transfer who played nearly 600 reps last year. The o-line plowed the way for Malik Grant’s 1,426 rushing yards while ranking No. 12 in the FCS with 1.14 sacks allowed per game.
Brock Bethea (6’5″ 305 lbs) and Tre Alexander (6’2″ 321 lbs) are coming off All-CAA seasons as both played 800+ snaps. Bethea was named on the All-Conference Second Team, and Alexander earned Third Team honors. Demetri Robinson (6’2″ 295 lbs) and Thomas Buxton (6’5″ 330 lbs) logged more than 700+ snaps apiece last fall. Jordan Cooper (6’3″ 315 lbs) added nearly 450 snaps with five starts. Christian Smith (6’2″ 270 lbs) transfers in from Merrimack, where he played almost 600 snaps in 2024.
4. UC Davis
UC Davis will have an extremely experienced offensive line, returning more than 4,600 snaps from last year and five linemen who started at least eight games in 2024. The unit helped protect All-American QB Miles Hastings and opened lanes for All-American RB Lan Larison as Davis scored 34.7 points per game (No. 14 in the FCS).
Eli Simonson (6’6″ 285 lbs) is coming off an All-Big Sky Second Team season. He played over 1,000 snaps in 2024 and nearly 800 in 2023. Zaire Collier (6’3″ 300 lbs) and Jace Rodriguez (6’5″ 295 lbs) also played over 1,000 snaps last fall. Ernesto Nava (6’4″ 305 lbs) logged just under 1,000 snaps in 2024 with All-Big Sky Honorable Mention accolades, plus over 500 reps in 2023. David Main (6’4″ 295 lbs) added 500+ snaps and eight starts in 2024.
3. North Dakota State
NDSU has to replace three starters on the o-line and only returns two players who logged more than 200 snaps. But it’s almost in this Top 3 by default despite the losses (including two tackles signing with NFL teams with Grey Zabel going in the first round), a tip of the cap to the NFL pipeline NDSU has established. The Bison’s recruiting and development have allowed them to reload year after year.
The Bison had PFF’s No. 2 pass-blocking grade last year while owning the No. 20 FCS rushing offense (193.3 YPG). NDSU returns more than 2,300 overall snaps from that unit, mostly from center Trent Fraley’s (6’1″ 301 lbs) near 1,000 snaps and guard Griffin Empey’s (6’3″ 298 lbs) 900+ snaps. Beau Johnson (6’6″ 297 lbs), expected to take over at left tackle, and Jack Liwienski (6’3″ 300 lbs), battling for the other guard spot, both logged over 100 snaps last fall. Liwienski got two starts in place of an injured Empey.
Fraley was a key FBS transfer addition for NDSU last year, arriving from Marshall. He graded out as PFF’s No. 28 FCS center, allowing no sacks, one QB hit, and 13 hurries.
2. South Dakota State
The Jackrabbits have to replace three full-time OL starters, but they have four players on the 2025 squad with starting experience. They return more than 2,000 snaps from last year, plus added an FCS All-Conference lineman who logged 700+ snaps in 2024 and 760+ snaps in 2023. SDSU owned PFF’s No. 4 run-blocking grade last season while ranking No. 1 in FCS sacks allowed (0.53 per game) and No. 3 in FCS rushing offense (236.1 YPG).
Last year’s starting tackles, Sam Hagen (6’6″ 320 lbs) and Quinten Christensen (6’5″ 300 lbs), are back. Christensen played more than 800 snaps in his first year starting, allowing no sacks or QB hits with 11 hurries. He turned down P4 NIL deals to return to SDSU. Hagen is a two-year starter in the MVFC, starting at UND in 2023 before heading to SDSU last fall, where he logged more than 700 snaps. Guard William Paepke (6’5″ 315 lbs) also returns after playing nearly 330 snaps in 2024 with some starting experience.
Adding to the unit is transfer Nate Adams (6’7″ 330 lbs) from Stephen F. Austin, where he was a two-year starter and 2024 All-Southland Conference Second Team performer. His 89.0 PFF pass-blocking grade last fall ranked No. 6 among FCS offensive tackles.
RELATED: FCS Preseason Preview Central
1. Montana State
MSU returns more than 2,500 offensive line snaps from last year, including four players who logged at least 295 reps, and four players who started games. The 2024 unit plowed the way for the No. 2 FCS rushing offense (294.9 YPG), owning PFF’s No. 2 FCS run-blocking grade, while ranking No. 3 in sacks allowed per game (0.69).
Titan Fleischmann (6’4″ 300 lbs) returns after being named to the All-Big Sky Second Team. He also earned All-American honors and was PFF’s No. 6-graded FCS offensive tackle. Burke Mastel (6’4″ 315 lbs) and JT Reed (6’3″ 290 lbs) return after splitting starts/snaps at guard. Reed is a multi-year starter who earned 2022 Third Team All-Big Sky accolades before missing most of 2023 due to injury. Cedric Jefferson (6’4″ 300 lbs) started three games at tackle last season and logged nearly 300 snaps as a redshirt freshman.
MSU has shown the ability to reload on the offensive line after graduations or transfer portal departures. Despite losing Marcus Wehr to the NFL and Conner Moore to Michigan State, the Bobcats are expected to have a premier FCS line again.
