Concerned About WVU's O-Line? You Shouldn't Be

West Virginia offensive line coach Matt Moore feels really good about his unit heading into the 2024 season.

Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

One of the biggest fears for West Virginia fans, or those who look at the Mountaineers as a contender in the Big 12, is that the offensive line might take a slight step back with Zach Frazier and Doug Nester now in the NFL.

Those folks every right to be concerned. It's not easy to replace arguably the best center in the country and a veteran lineman in Nester that has been nothing short of rock-solid since he transferred to WVU in 2021. But it's not like the cupboard is bare. If anything, the overall depth on the offensive line is as good as it's ever been, according to offensive line coach Matt Moore.

“I feel great about the left side," Moore said earlier this week. "Wyatt (Milum), Tomas (Rimac), and (Brandon) Yates is doing a really good job of continuing to get better every day. Straining more, learning the center position, and pressure situations. Right now (Ja’Quay) Hubbard is playing at a higher level than he’s played since he’s been here. He’s all-in, he’s one of the hardest workers on the offensive line. He’s got a positive mindset of always working hard and doing extra and it’s paying off, you can see it paying off by the way he’s playing right now. And (Nick) Malone at tackle, got to continue to press him to play with better pad level. He’s a really, really smart player. Sometimes he overthinks, but his athleticism helps. He runs better than Wyatt. That group has gelled together, four of them are seniors, one’s a junior.”

Right tackle is really the only uncertain spot on West Virginia's o-line. Malone has played a lot of football, but he has yet to play the bulk of the reps in a game on a week-to-week basis. The former walk-on has made several strides since he first arrived, but there's still some room for growth. The guy chasing him down, Xavier Bausley, earned Freshman All-American honors by The Athletic last season at Jacksonville State. He has a very bright future, but making the jump up to Power Four football can be a challenging one.

I also understand the anxiety of a new center, but Yates is more than capable of getting the job done. Just flashback to last year for example when he had to come in cold off the bench at a moment's notice when Zach Frazier hobbled off the field against Baylor. He had four clean snaps and did a good job in pass pro, helping WVU drive down the field and win the game. Is it going to be the same level of football you've become accustomed to seeing at center? Maybe not, but don't sell Yates short. He's played a lot of football and has some experience there.

Projected OL Depth Chart

LT: Wyatt Milium, Johnny Williams IV
LG: Tomas Rimac, Sullivan Weidman
C: Brandon Yates, Landen Livingston
RG: Ja'Quay Hubbard, Nick Krahe
RT: Nick Malone, Xavier Bausley

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