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.
Sep 22, 2022; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers offensive lineman Wyatt Milum (64) leads the team onto the field before their game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen
“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.”
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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.”
Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers offensive lineman Wyatt Milum speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
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.”
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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.”
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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.”
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) – West Virginia lawmakers continued working as the Saturday midnight deadline approaches.
Senate Action
The Senate passed 12 bills, including one requiring adult content websites to use age verification to block minors. Senators also passed a bill creating a Cold Case Task Force.
House Bill 49-90, targeting gift card crimes, and House Bill 54-37, the Vape Safety Act, also passed unanimously. All four bills now go to the House for concurrence.
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Delegates passed Alyssa’s Law, allowing teachers to wear mobile alert buttons that notify 9-1-1 and trigger a school lockdown in emergencies. The bill is named after a victim of the 2018 Parkland shooting.
Bill 4005, which clarifies jobs prohibited for workers under 16 — including bar work and logging — also passed. Both bills now head to Governor Patrick Morrisey’s desk.
Senate Bill 4 would require bystanders to stay at least 30 feet from first responders.
Senate Bill 75 would allow West Virginia law enforcement to cooperate with officers in bordering states. A bill from the Education Committee would allow teachers with at least 15 years of experience to become certified as school principals.
For more legislative coverage, go to our website at wdtv.com.
The West Virginia Mountaineers (10-3) welcome the Maryland Terrapins (10-5) to Kendrick Family Ballpark Tuesday afternoon the first encounter between the two programs since 2023 and the first meeting in Morgantown since 2018. The first pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.
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The Mountaineers captured their fourth consecutive series of the season after taking two of the three games from Columbia over the weekend. West Virginia sophomore Matt Ineich and senior Brodie Kresser both blasted grand slams during the series. Ineich lifted WVU in game two with a walk-off grand slam in the 10th in game two, and Kresser ignited a 16-1 rout, capping a six-run second inning in the series finale.
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Gavin Kelly leads West Virginia at the plate with a .436 batting average with a Big 12 leading nine doubles. Ineich and senior Paul Schoenfeld has raked in a team-leading 16 RBI apiece, while senior Matthew Graveline has clubbed a team-high three home runs.
On the mound, West Virginia is expected to start sophomore David Hagen. The right-hander has made four appearances on the season, including one start. He last started in the home-opener against Ohio where he pitched two scoreless innings and recorded a strikeout to collect his first win of the season. He holds a 1.00 ERA with five strikeouts on the season.
After starting 3-4, Maryland is 7-1 in its last eight games. The Terrapins won two of three at UNC Wilmington in the season opening series, followed by a midweek win against Georgetown before getting swept at Louisiana. The Terps bounced back with a pair of midweek wins versus Delaware and swept a one-win Wagner team.
Junior Brayden Martin is batting a team-best .443 to go with four doubles and 12 RBI. Redshirt freshman Ryan Costello leads the Terps in home runs (9) and RBI (21) and is third in batting average at .328, while freshman Ty Kaunus has a team-high seven doubles and has .269 batting average.
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Maryland is scheduled to start freshman Nic Morlang. The right-hander has four appearances on the season, including four starts. He allowed five earned runs in his appearances, coinciding with his two starts, in six innings of work. In his last two appearances in relief, He’s allowed one earned run on five hits.
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West Virginia leads the all-time series 8-5, including a five-game winning streak over Maryland.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to a series of parties in Morgantown over the weekend.
Morgantown police officers, West Virginia University Police and state police responded to reports of overcrowded parties, underage drinking, physical altercations and multiple injuries.
Morgantown Communications Director Brad Riffie said several citations were issued for open containers and underage consumption.
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Two large parties were dispersed and six arrests were made without incident.
None of the reported injuries are believed to be serious or life-threatening.
The Morgantown Fire Department assisted in the operations.
