Dillon Reinkensmeyer earned the title of college football’s most versatile offensive lineman in 2020 with an accomplishment not seen by any FBS player in more than a decade.
Reinkensmeyer, a University of Virginia fifth-year senior and Valor Christian graduate, made his college debut in 2017 at left tackle. But coaches valued his skillset across the line, and 38 career starts later, Reinkensmeyer earned the rare distinction of starting one game at every position up front — right tackle (12), right guard (2), center (21), left guard (1) and left tackle (2).
Reinkensmeyer is the first FBS player since at least 2010 to achieve the milestone, according to a UVA team spokesman. In 2007, former University of Texas offensive lineman Chris Hall started all five positions in one season.
“I think it’s definitely a testament to the coaching staff of moving me around,” said Reinkensmeyer, who told The Denver Post his preferred position is at guard. “I came into a really good situation and they’ve helped me become the player that I am today.”
Reinkensmeyer finished his redshirt junior year at UVA with NFL-sized dreams entering the 2020 season. The coronavirus pandemic initially threw a wrench into that push, but as one of college football’s most experienced offensive linemen at 6-foot-6 and 315-pounds, he’s moving ahead with confidence — just as Virginia travels to top-ranked Clemson on Saturday night.
It’s a rematch of the 2019 ACC Championship game in which Reinkensmeyer started at right guard.
“I was out west when school got shut down during the spring and I was really apprehensive about the fall season going on,” Reinkensmeyer said. “Our coaches did a good job of getting us ready to play by sending us workouts when we were home and doing all that kind of stuff. … For the large majority, I was home in Colorado. I would lift a lot and run a lot. I went hiking a bunch.
“Everyone is just going to have to be responsible. There have to be a lot of sacrifices to be made for the games to be played. In the ACC, everyone is getting tested two times a week and that’s helping eliminate a lot of variables.”
Reinkensmeyer is proud of his Colorado roots. His football upbringing at Valor Christian included three Class 5A state championships (2012-13 and ’15).
“Valor is a special place,” Reinkensmeyer said. “I was blessed to play with a lot of really, really good guys.”
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