MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — All five projected starters on the West Virginia offensive line played extensively last season. Four were regular starters themselves in 2023, including Brandon Yates, who has displayed no shortage of versatility throughout his college career.

Having played meaningful snaps at all five positions up front the last three seasons, Yates has assumed the role of full time center ahead of his sixth and final campaign with the Mountaineers.

In the process, the redshirt senior is attempting to replace one of the more accomplished offensive lineman in WVU football history as center Zach Frazier has moved on after being a second-round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers in April.

Yates has known his new role was coming for some time, but admits there’s somewhat of a different feel to it with the regular season opener against Penn State a week away.

“It’s a little bit different than the spring, because then you’re preparing for a spring game, but this is preparing for the whole season,” Yates said. “I’m trying to take everything seriously, because in situations when it does get to Penn State and a fourth-and-1, I have to do the important things and make sure everyone is on the right people.”

Yates gained valuable experience as a center to end the 2023 season after replacing Frazier for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against North Carolina. That was out of necessity after the Fairmont native suffered a fractured fibula during the regular season finale at Baylor, but it provided Yates an opportunity to get a glimpse of what the upcoming season will be like.

“Playing guard last year and a little bit of center, I kind of already knew what I needed to do physically to compete better at this position,” Yates said. “Since then, I had the summer to develop even more and I’ve definitely improved in the physical aspect. The weight room numbers went up. Both mental and physical, I’ve definitely made huge improvements.”

Yates was primarily utilized at right guard in 2023, but also saw action at left guard when Tomas Rimac battled injury. The previous two seasons, he had mostly played right tackle and left tackle, respectively.

Now that he’s shifted to the middle of the offensive line, there is more responsibility. Along with identifying defensive looks prior to the snap, Yates is also tasked with making sure the offensive line understands the snap cadence and is working together as one.

“The offense is doing a really good job right now chemistry wise,” Yates said. “I had the guys at my house not too long ago. We had a barbecue, and I cooked for them —some burgers, stuff like that. We’re a very close group on the offensive side. You have to be that. Everybody has to be the same way. If one guy messes up the play, the play looks horrible. We all have to be in sync, intertwined and really together.”

During a play, Yates says much of what he is asked to do at center is similar to what he did as a guard. The major difference playing center or guard as opposed to tackle, where Yates was for 2021 and 2022 seasons, is a different body type in defenders he’s assigned to.

“Once the ball is snapped, it’s basically guard. Most guys are not going to play down the middle and if they do, it’s just going to be a fight at that point,” Yates said. “When I talk about the difference between [playing] inside and outside, I think about body types. In the Big 12, the guys outside are a little more nimble and skinnier and more like basketball guys. They like to get around guys and they want to be finesse. Those guys are mostly speed to power. 

“The guys inside are mostly power. Body types are very different when it goes from outside to inside. Coming from tackle to guard and center, I had to change my body as well. In my younger years, I was 290 and I was more worried about getting out there to those guys. Since I’ve moved in, my body has changed and I’ve gained 20 pounds, so I was able to go down there and hang with those guys. I took that as a challenge. [Head coach for football strength and conditioning Mike Joseph] gives me a number and a max to work off of and I would go 10 above that to get stronger. Every day I got stronger, I was able to move guys and be a lot more effective against guys with bigger bodies.”

With a full offseason to prepare himself as Frazier’s replacement, Yates is hoping to get the most out of his final go-around at the college level. He’s taking over for a player who started 46 games, including 37 straight at center, and twice earned All-American honors while garnering All-Big 12 Conference status on three occasions. Frazier went on to become the Mountaineers’ highest NFL Draft pick since 2016.

“We don’t talk about football that much. We kind of keep it light,” Yates said. “We both understand we’re very different how we do things and play football.” 

As a whole, Yates hopes his presence at center and the experience of other projected starters Wyatt Milum (left tackle), Rimac (left guard), Ja’Quay Hubbard (right guard) and Nick Malone (right tackle) aids the offensive line in its quest to again be a unit that generates one of the best sacks against rates and can pave the way for one of the top rushing attacks nationally, just as it did a year ago.

WVU’s 10 sacks surrendered in 2023 was the third lowest total of 133 FBS teams, while its 228.9 rushing yards per game was No. 4 nationally and tops among power conference programs.

“I do the best I can do and want to be a better leader. Since Zach left, I’ve felt like I had to step into that role and become a different kind of leader,” Yates said. “But everybody is a leader in that room. We have to be leaders on the whole team.

“We’re the oldest guys on this team, so we all have to lead very differently. Everybody looks at us. We’re the biggest people on the field and the giants on the field. If the giants on the field are not high energy, the whole team can be like, ‘if they’re not high energy, why do I need to be?’ We all have to be high energy and leaders in the room. Ja’Quay is high energy guy. Nick Malone, I love that guy. He’ll joke around and keep everything pretty light, but he does the right things and he’s also a vocal leader. We all do pretty well being leaders to the team and being leaders to each other.”

Gov. Jim Justice announced Thursday that his administration will increase its funding for state programs that provide in-home care for people with disabilities, seniors and others in hopes of addressing a workforce shortage.

The funding will go toward a 15% Medicaid reimbursement rate increase for providers that serve vulnerable adults and children in state waiver programs. The money is meant to improve pay for direct care workers, who currently earn around $11 an hour, but there is no requirement on how providers spend the money. 

A 2023 survey said West Virginia needed to increase its rate of reimbursement and the worker salary range to $15.50-$18.60 per hour; the new rate increase, which goes into effect Oct. 1, reflected the study’s recommendations. 

“We can get some more bucks to these great people who are absolutely doing God’s work,” Justice said. “I’m just tickled to death to do that.”

Companies that employ direct care workers have said the rate increase, which was well below neighboring states, was necessary to employ and retain its workforce.

Eric Hicks, board president of the West Virginia’s chapter of the Home Care Association of America, anticipated home care wages being increased by agencies statewide. He noted that West Virginia was one of the nation’s most elderly states. 

“This investment allows West Virginia seniors and those with disabilities to age in their homes with dignity,” Hicks said. “Home care saves both families and the state from the enormous costs of long-term care facilities, which the Department of Human Services recently reported poses a $200-plus million annual additional taxpayer risk to the Medicaid program.”

Senior centers across the state, which provide in-home care to elderly residents through Medicaid, have also struggled to keep enough workers. Jennifer Brown, president of the West Virginia Directors of Senior and Community Services, said the rate increase would allow senior care providers to offer competitive salaries. 

“This will enable our members to continue our vital mission of caring for, transporting and providing meals to seniors in West Virginia who are in the greatest need of assistance,” she said. “Our group of providers offers comprehensive services to seniors, prioritizing their well-being over profits.”

In-home care is also a cost-saving measure for the state as paying for long-term care, like nursing homes and psychiatric facilities, is much more expensive

During the May special session, lawmakers gave DoHS $180 million in a reserve fund that they could use to improve Medicaid reimbursement rates. Lawmakers declined to mandate that DoHS spend the money to increase the rates after learning the department had spent money earmarked for people with disabilities on things like in-home COVID-19 tests.

While the Justice administration delayed action on the rate increase, a group home in Martinsburg for people with disabilities, many without family members, announced its closure earlier this month. Companies providing in-home care to seniors laid off workers due to financial loss. 

A press release from Justice’s office did not specify how much the rate increase would cost or where the funding would come from. Spokespeople for Justice and DoHS did not respond to questions for this story by deadline. 

DoHS did not require providers to use a certain amount of the reimbursement amount on increasing workers’ salaries. 

Disability Rights West Virginia Legal Director Mike Folio applauded the rate increase, but said that it was still millions of dollars short of what was needed as the state has infinitely institutionalized more people with disabilities.

“DoHS hasn’t increased rates in more than 10 years and the rate increases are not tied to a wage pass-through to guarantee that the increased revenue will be used to bolster front-line workers’ wages,” he said.  “Hiring and retention are necessary to end the skyrocketing number of involuntary commitments, but the rate increase gives providers free reign to spend the new revenue on management lunches and trips and not on workers’ wages.” 

The state Bureau for Medical Services plans to monitor the impact of increased rates on worker pay and member access to services “to determine if the increased rates are having the desired effect on workforce availability and tenure,” according to a press release.

CHICAGO, IL — Democratic political figures from West Virginia took in this week’s Democratic National Convention from the floor of the United Center in Chicago.

Olivia Dowler, a first-time candidate for House of Delegates and recent graduate of West Virginia University, says the convention has an uplifting experience for her.

“It’s been such a powerful, joyful, hopeful environment, almost something I’ve never experienced before,” Dowler said on Metro News Talkine with Hoppy Kercheval on Thursday.

Dowler got a live look at speeches from dozens of Democratic leaders throughout the week, including the likes of former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as President Biden and current vice president nominee Tim Walz.

Dowler says the collective message sent this week has been that the Democratic leaders will fight for the American people.

“They keep emphasizing, ‘it doesn’t matter if you do vote for us or not, if we get in there, we’re still going to represent you and we’re still going to support you,” Dowler said.

Dowler, a Hancock County native, says she knew she wanted to make a difference as a Democratic politician right after graduating.

“I knew I couldn’t let myself be a bystander when I saw that I could make a difference,” Dowler. “I don’t think the community is adequately being listened to and their voices really need to be heard in the legislature, and I believe I can go out there and do that for them.”

Steven Wendelin, the Democratic nominee for District 2 in West Virginia, says the upcoming race is about everyone, and those in rural communities are not forgotten by the Democratic Party.

“The Democrats have not forgotten rural America,” Wendelin said. “We are all Americans, including the rural Americans and this race is about all of us.”

Glen Elliot, former Wheeling mayor and candidate for U.S. Senate, says the brand of the Democratic Party in West Virginia is challenged and he and the other politicians need to bring the positive message back with them.

“As a delegate from West Virginia, I recognize that the Democratic brand is challenged back in my home state,” Elliot said. “We have to do a better job of telling them why we are the party of working-class West Virginians, we’re the party of the underdog. That’s what we always were, and we’ve lost that identity with a lot of West Virginia voters, so we need to bring the message from here back and let people know that we’re looking out for them.”

Current Vice President Kamala Harris closed out the DNC Thursday night, officially accepting the Democratic Party bid for president.