MORGANTOWN — The story with West Virginia’s offensive line heading into 2024 is more about who’s gone rather than who’s still around.
All-American center Zach Frazier’s departure has left a big void in the middle of the Mountaineers’ offensive line. Three-year starter Doug Nester won’t be easy to replace, either. The fact that both are in NFL training camps this summer goes to show how good they are.
While he acknowledges Frazier and Nester are big losses, WVU offensive line coach Matt Moore, however, is quick to point out who all the Mountaineers have coming back.
“It’s always hard when you lose two guys who are leaders, but I think these guys are doing a really good job of stepping up,” Moore said. “I had seven guys who started last year and I have five of those seven back, so we’re still a veteran group. I don’t see it so much of a rebuild as it is a reload.”
WVU’s offensive line was the strength of the offense last season, paving the way for the Mountaineers to be the top Power 5 rushing attack, averaging 228.9 yards per game and finishing third in the nation, allowing less than one sack per game.
Now headlining the unit will be preseason All-Big 12 left tackle Wyatt Milum. The senior Spring Valley product has made 31-straight starts over the last three seasons.
“We’re still a physical group,” Milum said this spring. “Even though we lost Frazier and Doug, our chemistry is still good. … I expect no change from last year — I expected to be the top in the country in every category just like we were last year.”
At center, redshirt senior Brandon Yates will slide over from right guard to replace Frazier. Yates has split time all over the offensive line the last four seasons, but started at center in the bowl game last year and has been focusing there ever since.
“When I first started doing center, it was more like 100-level classes, general knowledge-type stuff,” Yates said. “Now it’s getting into those 300-level classes and looking at the bigger picture. Not just looking at the guy in front of me, also looking at the defensive ends and understanding the whole picture.”
Replacing Nester at right tackle will be Morgantown native Nick Malone. A redshirt senior, Malone got his first playing time as the offensive line’s top backup last season. He ended up starting four games split between both tackle spots and guard.
“I think it’s been beneficial to play it all,” said Malone, a former walk-on. “I think being able to focus on right tackle has been a little bit more helpful. But in the grand scheme of things, knowing what everybody has to do helps my game as well.”
Redshirt junior Tomas Rimac returns at left guard for his second season as a full-time starter.
Senior Ja’Quay Hubbard will take over full-time at right guard after splitting time there with Yates last season.
“You can’t replace a Zach Frazier or a Doug Nester, but at the same time, I feel we have the opportunity to carry on what they brought to us,” Hubbard said. “Expectations don’t lower, our expectation is that we’re going to lead this team. That is the expectation from the coaches and ourselves.”
The top backups at each offensive line position will be, left to right: Johnny Williams IV, Sully Weidman, Landen Livingston, Nick Krahe and Jacksonville State transfer Xavier Bausley.
At tackle the team will also have redshirt junior Bryce Biggs and freshmen Lucas Austin (Sterling, Ill.) and Justin Terry (Pickerington, Oh.). At guard will be redshirt sophomore Maurice Hamilton, and depth centers are redshirt freshman Cooper Young and true freshman Kyle Altuner (Olney, Md.).
Projected Depth Chart
Tackle
Wyatt Milum, Sr.
Nick Malone, R-Sr.
Xavier Bausley, R-So. (Jacksonville State)
Johnny Williams IV, R-Fr.
Bryce Biggs, R-Jr.
Lucas Austin, Fr.
Justin Terry, Fr.
Guard
Tomas Rimac, R-Jr.
Ja’Quay Hubbard, R-Sr.
Sullivan Weidman, R-So.
Nick Krahe, R-Fr.
Maurice Hamilton, R-So.
Center
Brandon Yates, R-Sr.
Landen Livingston, R-So.
Cooper Young, R-Fr.
Kyle Altuner, Fr.
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