Ranking the Big Ten: Offensive guard
Many questions remain for what the 2020 college football season will look like, but that doesn't mean we still can't evaluate some of the top players to watch in the Big Ten Conference.
We continue our annual Ranking the Big Ten series today with the guard position. While there's star power at the top of the list, several less-heralded players ended up making the cut.
1. Wyatt Davis, Ohio State
Ohio State's Wyatt Davis was the no-brainer pick to top this list, as he's not only by far the top returning offensive guard in the Big Ten this season but also one of the best in the country.
Davis was a first-team All-American (AP) and first-team All-Big Ten (media) selection. He played a whopping 940 snaps for the Buckeyes at right guard in 2019, where he posted the highest overall grade of any Big Ten guard (82.6) and did not allow a single sack or quarterback hit all year per PFF.
Davis enters his junior campaign as a consensus preseason first-team all-conference pick by national media outlets, and Lindy's has him rated as the nation's No. 1 returning guard in 2020.
2. Blaise Andries, Minnesota
Minnesota's breakout 2019 season was one of the stories of the Big Ten, and much of it had to do with the play of the Gophers' offensive line.
Leading the way up front was Blaise Andries, who was voted third-team all-conference by the league's media after playing 852 snaps (569 at left guard) on a UM offense that set multiple school records.
The 6-foot-6, 325-pound redshirt junior was tabbed preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Athlon and Street & Smith's, while Lindy's had him rated as the No. 5 returning guard in the country.
3. Kendrick Green, Illinois
Illinois didn't have a lot to write home about last season, but the play of left guard Kendrick Green was definitely a bright spot.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound junior has started all 24 games he's played for the Fighting Illini and he graded out as the No. 3 guard in the Big Ten last season at 78.2 overall per PFF.
Green was named an honorable-mention All-American by PFF and was honorable-mention all-conference in 2019. Heading in 2020, Lindy's has him listed as a preseason third-team All-Big Ten pick.
4. Mark Kallenberger, Iowa
Iowa's offensive line lost some big names from last season, but Mark Kallenberger's experience and versatility give the Hawkeyes a valuable weapon up front.
The 6-foot-5, 295-pound junior played at least one snap at both guard and tackle spots in 2019, with the majority of his work coming inside at guard (192 at right, 128 at left). He ended up as the fourth-highest graded returning Big Ten guard per PFF (71.2) and did not allow a sack in 441 total snaps.
Kallenberger could be asked to take over at left tackle depending on how Indiana transfer Coy Cronk adjusts this offseason, but he will be a fixture on Iowa's o-line no matter where he lines up.
5. CJ Thorpe, Penn State
Penn State's offense should be loaded once again this season, and having guys like C.J. Thorpe paving the way is a big reason why.
Thorpe didn't get the accolades as some of the other players on this list, but he posted the third-highest run-blocking grade (77.1) of any returning Big Ten guard last season.
The 6-foot-3, 328-pound junior had his best game in a win over Michigan State, where he was named to the PFF Big Ten Team of the Week.