To appreciate the 2015 Stanford offensive line, you have to go back to where it all began in February of 2012. Actually, the group that will line up in front of Kevin Hogan and Christian McCaffrey in the Rose Bowl on January 1st began to come together even before that, when individual players met on Stanford recruiting trips as tenth and eleventh graders and first began talking about creating something special on the Farm.
When National Signing Day finally rolled around, the question was not whether or not David Shaw would be welcoming a great group of offensive linemen; that much was already a given. The only mystery was how historic the haul would be. Shaw and his staff hit every target that day, and over the next four seasons, each player met or exceeded expectations, almost without exception.
Andrus Peat was the jewel of that class, and prior to his selection in the first round of the NFL draft after his junior season, he was named an All-America and the winner of the Pac-12's Morris Trophy, given each year to the conference's top offensive lineman as selected by opposing defensive linemen.
As great as Peat was in 2014, the offensive line struggled as a unit, and to a man they accepted responsibility for the offense's poor performance throughout much of the season. This year, however, things were different, thanks mainly to the remaining members of that Class of 2012. Josh Garnett was probably only the third-most highly touted member of that group coming in, but he'll leave as one of the most decorated linemen in school history. He was the ninth Stanford player to be named unanimous All-America and the third guard in recent history, joining David DeCastro (2011) and David Yankey (2013). In addition to that, he became the fourth Cardinal offensive lineman to win the Pac-12's Morris Trophy, and he was the first to win the prestigious Outland Trophy, annually given to the best interior lineman in the nation.
It was Garnett's athleticism that set him apart from the competition and made him one of the most important players on the Stanford offense. He didn't just open holes at the line of scrimmage for Christian McCaffrey, he often continued down field to hunt linebackers and defensive backs, turning short runs into long ones. Nowhere is this illustrated as beautifully as on an iconic play against Washington. On a screen pass to fullback Daniel Marx, Garnett first throws aside a 260-pound defensive end before rumbling downfield to obliterate a 200-pound defensive back, flipping JoJo McIntosh into internet fame before continuing on and looking for more.
Immediately to Garnett's left was senior Kyle Murphy. Murphy started all 13 games at right tackle in 2014, and he flipped over to the opposite end of the line to replace Andrus Peat at left tackle this season. Murphy and Garnett were a formidable tandem on the left side of the line, both while protecting quarterback Kevin Hogan and while clearing the way for Stanford's running backs.
The two other Class of 2012 members on the offensive line were center Graham Shuler and right guard Johnny Caspers, with the lone underclassman being sophomore right tackle Casey Tucker.
Aside from the tremendous experience of Murphy, Garnett, Shuler, and Caspers who have combined for 110 starts in their careers, this group benefitted from health and consistency. For the first time in several years, the Cardinal started the same five players in the same five spots on the offensive line in every game this season, and the results were significant.
This edition of the Tunnel Workers Union created the holes that allowed Stanford running backs to rack up the most rushing yards in school history, and that's not all due to Christian McCaffrey. The AP Player of the Year set several individual school records of his own, but other players accounted for more than a thousand yards on top of McCaffrey's total, and the line allowed fewer than two sacks per game.
Want some more numbers? Stanford's offense ranked second in the nation in third down conversion percentage (51.16%), third on fourth down (85.71%), and first in time of possession (35:20). All of those numbers are directly attributable to the offensive line, as is the overall efficiency of the Stanford offense, which is generally recognized to be among the top five in the nation.
The offensive line Class of 2012 did more than just live up to expectations. Those five players wrote their own chapter in the Tunnel Workers Union handbook and set the standard for all future Stanford offensive lines. (It should be noted that we're yet to hear from Brandon Fanaika, who took a two-year mission after high school and served as a backup this season.)
Your eyes will be drawn to Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love and Remound Wright during Friday's Rose Bowl, but pay attention to the men making all that flash possible. Pay attention to the Tunnel Workers.
Overall Grade: A+