There is likely no position battle more intriguing for WVU football – or more important, for that matter – than the one that will take place along the team’s offensive line.
WVU's offensive line was one of the strongest position groups on the roster in recent years amidst a stagnant stint under former head coach Neal Brown. The Mountaineers have produced multiple NFL talents – including Zach Frazier, Wyatt Milum, and Doug Nester – in the trenches over the past two seasons while their rushing attack averaged 210 yards per game over a two-year period from 2023-2024.
Now, the Mountaineers must replace all five starting offensive lineman from last season, with four members of the lineup graduating (including Milum) and junior Tomas Rimac transferring to a bitter rival.
In order to replace that starting lineup, incoming head coach Rich Rodriguez spent quite a bit of time brosing the transfer portal. When the dust settled, the Mountaineers had added 11 offensive line transfers between the winter portal period and the spring portal period.
There are also a trio of returning lineman from the 2024 season – Landen Livingston, Nick Krahe, and Xavier Bausley – who are expected to be in the mix for a spot in the starting rotation. Add in a healthy mix of five additional underclassmen and two incoming freshmen, and 21 players will compete for five starting spots. And all five starting spots are definitively up for grabs.
Of those 21 offense lineman, a total of nine bring in-game experience at the FBS level – Bausley, Krahe, Livingston, Kimo Makane'ole, Ty'Kieast Crawford, Walter Young Bear, Ayden Bussell, Malik Agbo, and Carson Lee.
Another two of the lineman – Donovan Haslam and Mickel Clay – have significant in-game experience at the FCS level. Two more underclassmen transfers from the Division 1 level, Robby Martin and Wyatt Minor, were All-State selections during their high school careers in West Virginia. In addition, Martin was a four-star high school prospect and a top-ranked recruit in the state before spending his freshman season redshirted at NC State.
Six of the the lineman have spent at least one semester inside an SEC program – redshirt freshman Josh Aisosa (Oklahoma) joins Agbo (Texas), Bussell (Tennessee), Crawford (Arkansas), Lee (Mississippi State) and Makane'ole (LSU) on that list.
Five players – Bausley, Crawford, Lee, Livingston, Young Bear – have recorded 47 starts at the FBS level, while Clay and Haslam add another 24 starts at the FCS level. So it's safe to say the experience and talent is there for a successful offensive line unit for WVU in 2025.
Which of these 21 players will start is a complete mystery for most fans – a few have been consistent starters at various levels of the sport, but none of them have played for the Mountaineers. Some of the returners from last season's squad seem to have impress their new staff, but competition in the room will be fierce. It seems the method Rodriguez and his offensive line coach, Jack Bicknell, has chosen is to fill the room with competitive bodies and let fall camp sort the rest out.
But getting the offensive line right will be critical for if the Mountaineers want to find success in 2025. WVU has a coach with an innovative offensive scheme that has proven effective in Morgantown, skill players that could prove big-time playmakers and a pair of veteran Power 4 quarterbacks set to battle it out to become the team's starting signal caller – but to make it all mesh together, as with any team, the offensive line must come together.
If you ask the WVU media to put together a starting lineup for the Mountaineers along the offensive line in 2025, you'll likely get a different answer from each individual reporter. It's hard to tell exactly how such a diverse group will come together over the next month before the season kicks off, but it will certainly be fun to follow who stands out as pre-season camp begins next week.
Predicting WVU's OL 2-Deep in 2025
LT:
1st String – Ty'Kieast Crawford
2nd String – Mickel Clay
LG:
1st String – Walter Young Bear
2nd String – Donovan Haslam
C:
1st String – Landen Livingston
2nd String – Robby Martin
RG:
1st String – Carson Lee
2nd String – Kimo Makane'ole
RT:
1st – Xavier Bausely
2nd – Nick Krahe