For Fairmont, W.Va native and former WVU football center Zach Frazier, last season went about as well as he could have hoped.
Frazier had an absolutely massive rookie campaign after being selected in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He started 14 games for the Steelers and was selected to the PFWA All-NFL Rookie Team, capping the year by winning the Joe Green Great Performance Award -- an annual award given to the top-performing rookie in the Steelers' organization.
But despite how well Frazier's first season at the professional level went, it seems expectation may be even higher for his second year in the NFL -- in a recent Fox Sports article which names breakout candidates for each AFC team, Frazier found himself representing the Steelers on the list.
Zach Frazier looks like a foundational piece for the Steelers OL
— The Standard (@TheStandard412) June 6, 2025
Ranked 4th among all centers as a rookie (77.9 PFF grade).
Pittsburgh’s bet is already paying off — future anchor. 🛡️#NFL #Steelers pic.twitter.com/hEkDFwhb6j
#Steelers Zach Frazier appreciation post 💪 pic.twitter.com/IhjDGFxkyk
— Steelers Black and Gold Nation - Off-season (@B_GNation1) May 19, 2025
"This feels like a layup, because Frazier is already on his way to being a standout center. As a rookie, PFF graded him fourth among all starting centers in run block grade, and sixth in pass block grade," wrote NFL reporter David Helman. "He allowed just 12 pressures and one sack in 15 appearances. If he continues on this trajectory, Frazier should be the Steelers’ first Pro Bowl center since Maurkice Pouncey called it a career in 2020."
Frazier's success comes as no surprise to WVU fans who are familiar with his career -- he started 46 games over his four-year career with the Mountaineers, allowing just four sacks in four seasons and was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Big 12 selection.