Ranking the Big Ten: Offensive Guard
As the 2025 college football season quickly approaches, it’s time to look at the top players at each position in the Big Ten.
Today, we continue our annual Ranking the Big Ten series with the offensive guards. Penn State returns two of the top players in the conference while Nebraska added its anchor from the transfer portal.
Previous Ranking the Big Tens: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT
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1. Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
After adding Isaiah World, the top offensive tackle transfer in the cycle, Oregon bolstered its line even further. Pregnon joined the Ducks after two seasons at USC and was the No. 2-ranked interior offensive lineman in the portal.
In 2024, Pregnon started every game at left guard for the Trojans without allowing a sack. He turned in an All-Big Ten Second Team campaign with 882 total offensive snaps. The 6-foot-5, 320-pounder gave up 18 pressures and 13 QB hurries in 2024, earning a PFF pass-blocking grade of 67.5. Against Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl, he earned an 83.9 pass-blocking grade after not allowing a single pressure or hurry in 44 pass-blocking snaps. Pregnon finished the year with a 64.1 run-blocking grade.
The sixth-year senior spent the first three seasons of his career at Wyoming but did not appear in a game until 2022. As a redshirt sophomore, Pregnon was a Freshman All-American while giving up just two sacks. He has made 36 career starts.
2. Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
Ioane returns for his fourth year in State College after earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors in 2024. He started all 16 of Penn State’s games at left guard last season
At 6-foot-4 and 334 pounds, Ioane played 985 snaps in 2024, the third most of any guard in the country. He did not allow a single sack but gave up 17 pressures and 16 QB hurries on the year. He posted a PFF pass-blocking grade of at least 80.0 six times, but a few poor outings tanked his overall grade to 74.9.
Ioane was more consistent in run-blocking scenarios and finished the year with a 73.0 grade, sixth among qualified Big Ten guards.
3. Alex Birchmeier, Penn State
The Nittany Lions return a two-headed monster in the trenches. While Ioane is the experienced veteran, Birchmeier has untapped potential.
The 6-foot-5, 307-pounder was the fourth-ranked interior offensive lineman in the 2023 recruiting class. As a redshirt sophomore, Birchmeier has waited in the wings for two seasons and is now primed to take over the starting job. In high school, he was named Burg Sports Lineman of the Year and Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year as a two-time state champion wrestler.
In 2024, Birchmeier primarily played on special teams while sitting behind sixth-year senior Sal Wormley. In 32 offensive snaps, he posted a 70.5 PFF grade without allowing a pressure. Wormley is Penn State’s only departure on the offensive line, so Birchmeier will play alongside a veteran group at right guard.
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4. Austin Siereveld, Ohio State
Siereveld started six games at left guard in 2024, but was primarily a rotational piece, playing at both guard spots for a banged-up Buckeye offensive line. He made waves this spring, however, earning Ryan Day’s seal of approval as a sure-fire starter next season.
Siereveld even saw extended time at right tackle throughout the spring, and in a surprise development, will battle for that spot next season. His stock is rapidly climbing.
The 6-foot-5, 320-pounder played 495 total snaps in 2024. He allowed three sacks, 11 pressures and seven QB hurries, earning a 62.5 overall PFF grade. One of those sacks came against Nebraska despite playing just 10 snaps in the contest. He played 27 snaps at right guard in the National Championship game, earning his highest pass-blocking grade of the season, 81.8.
5. Rocco Spindler, Nebraska
Spindler comes to Lincoln with lofty expectations not recently afforded to Husker offensive linemen.
The former Joe Moore Award Semifinalist is a proven commodity after starting 13 games for Notre Dame in 2024 and playing 63 snaps in the National Championship game. He will anchor the Nebraska line as a savvy veteran but also a vocal leader with championship pedigree. Spindler joins Alabama transfer Elijah Pritchett as the unit replaced its departing pieces with top-end talent and CFB Playoff experience.
At 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds, Spindler has made 23 starts in his career with 1,325 total snaps. He didn’t allow a single sack in 2024 and only gave up 10 pressures and six QB hurries in 375 pressure opportunities. Spindler was also extremely disciplined, only being flagged for two penalties on the year, both of which came in the same game.
Out of high school, Spindler was a four-star recruit and one of the highest-rated offensive guards in the nation. He was a starter at Notre Dame as a junior before Billy Schrauth won the job entering 2024. After Schrauth went down with an injury, Spindler filled the right guard spot and remained there for the rest of the season.
