Ragnow Top Ranked Center

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas junior center Frank Ragnow finished the regular season as the top ranked center in college football by Pro Football Focus (PFF) and landed on the outlet’s All-America first team on Tuesday.

The Victoria, Minnesota, product graded out as the top center in the nation by PFF twice this season after his performance during wins over then-No. 11 Florida and at Mississippi State. Ragnow graded out as a top three center in five of 12 games and earned an 80 percent grade or higher from PFF seven times.

Ragnow was named to the Pro Football Focus Team of the Week twice this season and also earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors on Sept. 18. He has made 25 straight starts heading in Arkansas’ Belk Bowl showdown against Virginia Tech with 14 starts at right guard and 11 at center.

Ragnow helped pave the way for sophomore running back Rawleigh Williams III to capture the SEC regular season rushing title with 1,326 yards on the ground while junior quarterback Austin Allen has thrown for 3,152 yards, including a league-best 2,291 in conference play. Arkansas is one of nine FBS teams with a 1,300-yard rusher and 3,000-yard passer.

PFF on Ragnow
“If you watched any of Arkansas this year, it won’t come as a surprise to see Ragnow named as our first-team All-American center. Utterly dominant for much of the year after moving from guard to center in 2016, Ragnow looked at his best in space, either at the second level or on pull blocks. He played a huge role in their success running the ball, with Arkansas averaging 6.4 yards per carry on runs between center and left guard this year.”

PFF Analyst Mike Renner on Ragnow’s Performance Against Florida
“If there’s been a more impressive single game from a center all season, I certainly haven’t seen it. He didn’t allow a single pressure in 32 pass blocking snaps, but that’s not why Arkansas won. Frank Ragnow made multiple key blocks pulling to the edge or cutting off linebackers on Arkansas’ long runs. Even his late holding penalty was a near perfect block that should never have been flagged with his hands inside the shoulder pads. It was the type of performances that will be sure to open the eyes of some NFL scouts.”