If the Utah Utes are going to have the best offensive line in college football next season, like Spencer Fano suggested earlier this spring, the 6-foot-6 junior will certainly play a significant role in that sentiment coming to fruition.
Fano, fresh off his sophomore season, took a major step forward in his progression despite the Utes’ struggles on offense in 2024. After bursting onto the scene as a freshman, the Spanish Fork, Utah, native asserted himself as one of the most dominant tackles in the sport last season, taking home All-America honors from Pro Football Focus and the Associated Press, in addition to landing on the All-Big 12 first team.
As such, Fano will head into the 2025 season as the top returning offensive lineman in the country, according to PFF. Fano’s prowess in the run game, combined with his ability to protect the passer, put him ahead of some of the other top tackles and guards who project to get picked early in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Fano was PFF’s “easy choice” as the No. 1 returning offensive lineman based on his 93.0 grade that led all FBS tackles last season. His 93.6 run-blocking grade was also the best in the country by over three points. Only former Texas tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., who was selected by the New Orleans Saints with the No. 9 overall pick in this month’s draft, posted a higher score in PFF’s wins above average metric than Fano did in 2024.
Fano’s pass-block grade of 79.5 was among the top 30 at the Power Four level as well. Though his arm length suggests he could transition to guard at the pro level, that hasn’t prevented him from earning a reputation as one of the most talented offensive lineman prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. In fact, PFF’s updated big board for next year’s draft has Fano as the third-best offensive lineman prospect in the class behind only Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor and Miami’s Francis Mauigoa.
For now, Fano and the other four starters from Utah’s offensive line are set to provide stability and continuity for their new quarterback, Devon Dampier, to lean on as he and new offensive coordinator Josh Beck implement their system from New Mexico.
“I definitely think we have the best offensive line in the country, and that doesn’t just mean our own one-on-one responsibilities,” Fano said. “We make a lot of calls on the field, and we control a whole lot that the offense does. And yeah, I think we’re the best O-line in the country, and I think that helps a lot with our relationship with Dev.”
Fano has played 25 games in a Utes uniform, including 24 starts. A former four-star recruit, he was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 12 offensive tackle in the country and No. 2 player in the state of Utah’s class of 2023.
MORE UTAH NEWS & ANALYSIS
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
