We are five days into July, which means we have released the first five players on our list of the top 30 WVU Football players of all time. If you have been following along on social media, you are in the loop and have hopefully weighed in. If not, here is the list so far: No. 30: Anthony Becht, No. 29: David Sills V, No. 28: Zach Frazier, No. 27: Canute Curtis, No. 26: Grant Wiley. Not everyone agrees, but that is the point. Stay tuned in and follow along, and I will recap the list as we go, with a full recap at the conclusion. Read more: 30 days, 30 legends: Nos. 30-26.
No. 30: Anthony Becht
Anthony Becht was one of the most complete tight ends in WVU history. He was a weapon in both the rushing and passing games. He was a physical blocker who also made plays downfield. Becht recorded 11 touchdowns in his career, with 1,178 receiving yards.
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Becht went on to be selected in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He had an 11-year NFL career, which validated what most Mountaineer fans already knew. Becht was elected to the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2024. He was reliable and set the standard for the position in Morgantown.
No. 29: David Sills V
David Sills V played three seasons for the Mountaineers, including his sophomore season as a quarterback at El Camino College. The quarterback-turned-wide receiver lived in the end zone during his time at WVU. He finished his career with 35 total touchdowns and led the nation with 18 receiving touchdowns in 2018.
Sills arrived at WVU as a quarterback recruit and left as one of the most prolific receivers in program history. He sits in second in receiving touchdowns in his career. He made a huge impact in a short amount of time in Morgantown.
No. 28. Zach Frazier
Zach Frazier was the anchor of one of the most dominant offensive lines in WVU history. The Fairmont, WV, native played in 47 games over his four years with the program. He earned Second-Team All-American honors in 2021, and First-Team All-American honors in 2023. Frazier helped WVU rush for at least 140 yards in 16 consecutive games spanning from 2022 to 2023. He was drafted in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and has started every game of his two-year career.
No. 27: Canute Curtis
Canute Curtis was a force at linebacker during his time at WVU. He played from 1993 to 1996 and is WVU’s all-time sack leader. He finished his career with 34.5 sacks, with 16.5 in his senior season. That still stands as the most sacks in a single season by a Mountaineer. He finished with 192 tackles and 26 tackles for loss.
Curtis was drafted in the sixth round of the 1997 NFL Draft and played six years for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. Curtis was one of West Virginia’s most decorated defenders as a three-year starter for some of the best defensive units in the history of the program.
No. 26: Grant Wiley
Grant Wiley played four seasons at linebacker from 2000 to 2003. He immediately made an impact as a true freshman, recording 94 tackles and 14 tackles for loss. He finished his career with 492 tackles and 47.5 tackles for loss. Those were both all-time highs in the WVU record books when he finished his career. He ranks first with 288 solo tackles. He also recorded nine sacks and eight interceptions in his career, two of which were returned for a touchdown in his freshman season. Wiley was elected into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
How to follow along
You can also weigh in each day in the comments on our socials. Here is a list of our socials and where you can find us:
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Tap in with our socials. Follow and engage with the posts to give us your opinions. We want feedback from the people who make WVU Football possible: the fans. Download the WV Sports Nation app, and follow along by reading our coverage of WVU Athletics throughout July and into the future. Stay tuned in and turn on notifications so you don’t miss a single ranking. The history of WVU Football was built one great player at a time. This is their month.
