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Apr 2, 2024 By Bob Hertzel 5 min read

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — There can be no doubt that West Virginia once again believes its offensive line will be among the best in the Big 12, giving quarterback Garrett Greene time to throw and the runners holes to run through, but they also know that there is a big void in the middle.

That is the place that had been occupied by Zach Frazier, the All-World center whose next stop is the NFL.

Frazier, from Fairmont Senior High School, was a four-year starter for the Mountaineers until breaking a bone in his leg in his final regular season game of what was an All-American year.

Life goes on with Brandon Yates filling in for him, but not without everyone thinking of what Frazier brought to the table.

“It’s different, no question,” offensive coordinator Chad Scott said. “He was different.”

Truth is, Zach Frazier was a once-in-a-lifetime football player. You know that when the NFL comes around and about the only negative box they can check is that his arms aren’t long enough.

We all know a lot of people like that, especially when the bar tab is delivered.

Other than that, Frazier was unique.

“That was a huge loss and there is a huge void, no question,” Scott said. “The guy started every game but one since he’s been here. His sheer presence, his physicality, the way he plays the game. It’s huge to lose a guy like that.”

But it was more what he did off the field that will be missed.

“Frazier did a great job as a leader. Not a vocal leader, more so in the way he studied the game, how he acted outside the game,” Scott said,

It’s a role that must be filled, but it is unrealistic to believe anyone will fill it in the same manner.

“Nobody’s going to be Frazier,” Scott said.

The leadership mantle clearly falls now on quarterback Garrett Greene’s shoulders as he enters his fifth year in the program and third as a starter.

“Yeah, it’s kind of weird, being the old guy in the building,” Greene admitted. “It’s all about leadership, but just because you’re the oldest guy you still have to show up and be the same guy every day. Age doesn’t figure into that.”

Greene, however, has a completely different personality from Frazier and is infectious in everything he does. In truth, if Frazier was the moral compass and model of work ethic and preparation, Greene is a human “upper” who provides a way to turn Frazier’s lessons into performance on the field.

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Most people considered last year’s jump to nine wins despite being picked to finish last in the Big 12 as a satisfying season. That, obviously, included West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker, who rewarded coach Neal Brown with a contract extension.

However, do not count quarterback Garrett Greene among those who were satisfied with the season.

“I think we underachieved last year,” Greene said. “That team was a 10- or 11-win team, for sure. That’s the next step we have to take. It’s easier to go from five wins to nine wins, but now it’s really hard to go from nine wins to 11.”

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It has come to light that Michigan approached former WVU and Michigan basketball coach John Beilein to see if he was interested in replacing Juwan Howard as the Wolverines’ coach before they settled on Dusty May of Florida Atlantic.

Michigan made the move after finishing 8-24 and last in the Big 10 last season.

Warde Manuel, the Michigan athletic director, admitted in The Athletic that he had approached Beilein, who led them to two national final games in his time there.

“When John and I talked, I think he realized, ‘Do I want to get back into this NIL now and this portal?” Manel said. “It never came up where I offered him the job or anything. We just talked. It was a great conversation.”

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There were many surprises last year when Beanie Bishop transferred from Minnesota, where he was a sometimes starter and mostly a nickel back, and not only won the Mountaineers’ starting job but became a consensus All-American.

How could that have happened?

Well, now we know.

Bishop was a star at the Big 12 Pro Day before scouts from all 32 NFL teams, running a 4.39 40, which was the best registered by anyone at the workout and added to that a 4.14 20-yard shuttle, showing both speed and agility that will make him an interesting prospect come draft day.

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Speaking of speed, former Mountaineer centerfielder Victor Scott II has rushed through the St. Louis Cardinals farm system and was the team’s opening day center fielder and, despite a loss to the powerful Los Angeles Dodgers, he recorded his first major league stolen base off former Pirates’ prodigy Tyler Glasnow.

Scott actually had been optioned to the minor league camp just days earlier but when Dylan Carlson was going on the injured list, he was called back to the big league club.

He also made an interesting choice of numbers, selecting uniform No. 11 … and so it is that now the back of the uniform of Victor Scott II will read:

Scott

11

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New WVU men’s basketball coach Darian DeVries is from an athletic family, as one might guess considering his son is coming with him after consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Awards, but surprisingly it’s not from a basketball family.

The DeVries were known for football.

His younger brother, Jared, was a defensive end at Iowa who earned All-American honors and played 11 NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions. He had a second younger broker, Dusty, who also played at Iowa while his youngest brother, Jay, played football at Wartburg College.

So how did he wind up playing basketball?

“They beat me to the mashed potatoes and gravy and I got left with the scraps,” he said. “I was like 240 pounds coming out of high school, so this was a better path for me.”