'We plan on being great': Milum expects no drop off on offensive line – WV MetroNews

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Despite losing a pair of veteran starters that are now in NFL training camps, the WVU offensive line could feature at least three senior starters and several multi-year contributors this fall.

The departures of four-year starter Zach Frazier and three-year starter Doug Nester are significant. Frazier, a Fairmont Senior High School graduate, was a second-round pick of the Steelers. Nester, a Spring Valley High School alumnus, signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings. Wyatt Milum started alongside Frazier and Nester for three seasons.

“It is a little weird because coming into college you have Frazier and Doug there,” Milum said.

“The biggest thing Frazier taught me is routine. Coming in early, doing the body maintenance that you need, doing the recovery, I think that’s the biggest thing Fraz [said]. Just taking care of your body was the biggest thing he taught me.”

Success for an offensive line can be quantified in a number of different ways. Milum says there is no reduction in standards or expectations despite the graduations of two key contributors.

“We plan on being great. We plan on nothing changing from last year. That’s our mindset and that’s our standard. We want to be a physical team and a physical O-Line. We expect nothing but being great.”

Milum is entering his fourth season as a starter and he is a contender for All-American honors at left tackle. Nick Malone (40 career games), Brandon Yates (48 games), Ja’Quay Hubbard (27 games) and Tomas Rimac (25 games) join Milum on the front line.

“I feel like we have an old group. We have Ja’Quay Hubbard, Brandon Yates, Nick Malone and Tomas [Rimac]. So they are older guys and they know what the standard is here. It is a leadership role. But it is a good thing because we have older players on the O-Line.”

Malone and Jacksonville State transfer Xavier Bausley look to be battling for the starting spot at right tackle opposite from Milum.

“He is playing really well right now,” Milum said about Bausley. “He came in during the spring and he is playing good football right now.”

Milum says his former Spring Valley teammate and offensive lineman Bryce Biggs is recovering well from a knee injury that limited him during spring drills.

“He improved a lot last year. But especially with his knee injury, he is getting back to full health. He is playing good football right now. Having him back is a big help.”

West Virginia’s top three rushers return from a year ago in Jahiem White (842 yards, 4 TD), CJ Donaldson (798 yards, 11 TD) and Garrett Greene (772 yards, 13 TD).

“Jahiem is more speed and CJ is more power. When we are blocking for them, you just have to know which type. CJ, he is going to be one cut and go. Jahiem, you don’t really know where he is going to go. It is a difference there.

“Having a mobile quarterback like Garrett, it allows a little more. You can mess up a little bit and he’ll still break it out. He’ll make you right.”

Milum is a top-tier professional prospect and is projected in some scouting services as a potential Day 1 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Milum has one eye to how the professionals play as part of his preparation for the season.

“You’ve got to be really good at the basic stuff and also really watching film. Watching NFL film really helps. You see what they do and you try to mimic some of it.”

In a relatively short summer for college football players, Milum says his time off the field was mostly spent outdoors.

“I went to Hinton, West Virginia and did some small mouth fishing with my brother and dad. So that was fun. I went fishing a couple times and that’s about it. That, football and golf.

“Golf is not really my game. You don’t know where it is going when I hit it.”