Last year, the West Virginia Mountaineers didn't have the best season on the gridiron. And a big part of the reason why things didn't work out can be traced to a dismal performance along the offensive line.
The Mountaineers faced a lot of scrutiny for their team's efforts in the trenches last season, and it was clear that just about everyone that watched the team was frustrated with the O-line group's performance – and perhaps no one more so than head coach Rich Rodriguez.
Now, former offensive line coach Jack Bicknell is out, and Rich Rodriguez is set to reunite with the coach that helped mold some of his best offensive line units during his first stint in Morgantown and during his recent tenure at Jacksonville State – Rick Trickett. And since his last time with the Mountaineers, he has gained valuable national championship experience.
West Virginia also made a splash in the portal and in their high school/JUCO signing class, bringing in multiple all-conference players, a starter from a rival Big 12 team, and one of the top freshman linemen in the nation in Kevin Brown. But it's very possible the top player on the group will be one of the returning talents from last season.
Nick Krahe continues to gain momentum as he enters fourth season with the Mountaineers
Krahe is set to begin the fourth season of his collegiate career, and he has worked his way from a reserve during his first two seasons up to a starting role last year. He consistently graded out as one of the team's top linemen last year amidst wildly disappointing performances from many of his teammates.
This past spring, while fellow returning starting offensive lineman Landen Livingston wasn't among the first two units during the intrasquad scrimmage at the Spring Showcase, Krahe was – although he was taking reps at guard, as opposed to tackle, which was the position he started at last year.
And as the summer has continued on, he has continued to show he's likely going to be one of the key pieces of the 2026 offensive line unit. He was recently listed as one of just three West Virginia players set to accompany Rodriguez to Big 12 Media Days in July – pots often reserved for starter and veteran offensive leaders.
And now, he has also been named as one of the program's "Weight Room Warriors of the Week" during summer workouts, showing that he continues to develop physically as the season gets closer.
Repping the Gold & Blue in Frisco 🎙️@RealCoachRod @thejadenbray @nick_krahe @LatimerGeimere pic.twitter.com/wYqzfJdM65
— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) June 26, 2026
𝙒𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙚𝙠 🦾@nick_krahe @CamCook_4 @cam5_k @matt_sieg pic.twitter.com/cSKayrdTom
— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) June 29, 2026
WVU fans will certainly be excited to know that they have at least one offensive lineman on this incoming team that Rodriguez seems to feels as if he trusts, and it's even better that it's a lineman with a year of experience in Rodriguez's offense, and in his locker room culture. Fans will want to keep an eye on Krahe when the Mountaineers take the field against Coastal Carolina for the season opener.
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