Our weekly position review series rolls on by taking a look at West Virginia’s offensive line. Led by redshirt junior Nick Krahe, this group is looking for a much needed bounce back season after last year.
Similar to other position groups for WVU, the offensive line went through a complete overhaul after last season. There are a few familiar faces, but overall the Mountaineers will feature a lot of new faces in the trenches this season.
Here is a closer look at this relatively new group and wonder if they have what it takes to make fans forget about last year. Read more: Position Review #4: Nick Krahe leads an unproven offensive line.
Returners leading the way
While the offensive line room has a lot of new faces in general, there are still a couple returners that should be primed to lead this group.
Without a doubt, the leader is Krahe. A native of Erie, Pennsylvania, Krahe started in all 12 games for the Mountaineers last season. He was also used on a team-high 873 offensive snaps.
After mostly being used on special teams at the beginning of his career, Krahe has turned into a reliable offensive tackle for the Mountaineers. At a vital position, West Virginia will be able to count on Krahe to hold it down this season.
Another returner who will help to anchor the offensive line is redshirt senior Landon Livingston. At 6’4 and 293 pounds, the Indiana native started in all 11 games he played in at center last season.
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The only game he missed was due to injury against Utah. However, he still managed to see a ton of action, and for the most part he was one of the few bright spots last year.
West Virginia managing to retain these new key pieces to the line will be key for a bounce back season this year. With long-time offensive line coach Rock Trickett returning for his third stint with the Mountaineers, he will be able to lean on the experience of Krahe and Livingston.
Malik Agbo is another important piece returning for his second year with the Mountaineers. The former Texas transfer saw action in all 12 games last season, including one start.
He has a good opportunity to carve himself a bigger role in his second year with the program.
Experienced transfers
Beyond the returners that saw action for West Virginia last season, there are plenty of experienced transfers head coach Rich Rodriguez managed to bring in for this season.
Jacksonville State transfer Cam Griffin joins the Mountaineers after starting all 13 games for the Gamecocks last season. He was also quite versatile as he saw time at guard, center, and one start at right tackle.
The senior also earned All-Conference USA First-Team Honors last season. That was in large part due to how efficient he was as a pass blocker, grading out at 76.9%.
Wyoming transfer Wes King is another quality transfer the Mountaineers brought in for this season. The redshirt senior is coming off a career at Wyoming where he did not allow a single sack over his 33 career starts.
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He started every game last season at left guard, proving valuable in both the run and the passing game.
Kansas State transfer Devin Vass also comes to West Virginia with experience at the highest level in college football. With the Wildcats last season, Vass started the last seven games of the season.
During that stretch, he did not allow a sack, nor did he commit a single penalty. Coming off that strong season last year, Vass will look to continue that upward trajectory with the Mountaineers.
Along with Griffin, Amare Grayson also joins the Mountaineers this season after transferring from Jacksonville State. As a sophomore last season, he started every game for the Gamecocks.
He also earned Conference USA First Team Offensive Lineman honors. He and Griffin should hit the ground running at West Virginia after following Trickett to Morgantown when WVU hired him.
Exciting freshmen
West Virginia also has a few freshmen who fans should be quite excited for. They may even make an impact as early as this year, but could definitely blossom into standout players for years to come.
At the forefront is four-star tackle Kevin Brown. After his father, Tim, played three years at West Virginia under Rodriguez, the Pennsylvania native also opted to choose the Mountaineers for his collegiate career.
Brown ranked as the No. 5 overall player in Pennsylvania and the No. 15 offensive tackle in the country. According to 247Sports, he also stands as the fourth-highest-rated recruit to sign with WVU since 2000.
Tennessee native Camden Goforth is another promising incoming freshman for the Mountaineers. The three-star interior offensive lineman ranked as the No. 65 overall prospect in Tennessee.
The Mountaineers already look to have a strong rushing attack led by Cam Cook. However, if they are going to improve from a disappointing season last year, it will have to start in the trenches.
If the offensive line takes a major step forward this year, West Virginia will be in a much better place this year. Having Trickett’s experienced voice in the room will certainly help that happen, as well as experienced guys like Krahe and Livingston.
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