WVU’s Rebuilt Offensive Line Impressing Early, Says Rich Rodriguez
It’s still early in the process, but West Virginia’s revamped offensive line is already catching the eye of head coach Rich Rodriguez. 
This offseason, the Mountaineers had to replace their entire starting offensive line, with Wyatt Milum and Nick Malone graduating and moving on to professional opportunities, Brandon Yates and Ja’Quay Hubbard also graduating, and Tomas Rimac transferring to Virginia Tech. Former offensive line coach Matt Moore also took several players—including Lucas Austin, Kyle Altuner, and 2025 recruit Gavin Crawford—to Blacksburg. Johnny Williams V transferred to Missouri, and multiple others entered the transfer portal.
With only a few returners like Landen Livingston, Nick Krahe, and Cooper Young, the offensive line was almost entirely rebuilt. Given the high turnover, expectations were understandably cautious. However, after three practices, Rodriguez has been impressed with the group’s performance so far.
“They’ve been a very conscientious group. I’ve got three excellent o-line coaches working with them, and mentally, they’ve been sharp on their assignments. We’re not doing anything too complicated, but over the last few days, they’ve been pretty sharp,” Rodriguez said. “I didn’t think we got as much push today at the line of scrimmage, but Coach (Zac) Alley has already installed 46 blitzes, 18 coverages, and 45 fronts—more than I would’ve expected for just the third day of practice. It’s hard to limit them because they’re doing such a great job teaching, but there’s a lot for these guys to process early on.”
While practices haven’t yet been fully padded, which makes it harder to assess physicality, knowing the assignments is a crucial first step. As camp progresses, Rodriguez expects the team will get a better sense of who is physically ready for the demands of their fast-paced offense. One bright spot for the offensive line is its depth—12 to 13 players have college football experience, with more than five having starting experience.
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