The West Virginia offensive line has reached the point where it’s time to consistently prove it.

If that sounds harsh, it should for a unit that is one of the most experienced returning collection of players on the roster and should serve as the engine of the success that occurs offense.

With a young quarterback guaranteed at this point outside a foray into the transfer portal after spring, the Mountaineers need that group up front to take the next step and become a reason for the offense to be successful. That is easier said than done and talk is cheap, but the combination of experience and talent is one that could prove that the time is right for this group.

Last season, head coach Neal Brown said that the unit was a year away from truly being where they wanted to be in terms of depth and experience and now that can no longer be used as an excuse.

The Mountaineers return five of their top six players in terms of snaps played from the 2021 roster with only right tackle Parker Moorer exiting the program to head to East Carolina. While a loss from a depth perspective, Moorer had effectively lost his job at tackle during the course of the season.

Back for the program is James Gmiter (897 snaps), Zach Frazier (895 snaps), Brandon Yates (880 snaps), Doug Nester (807 snaps) and Wyatt Milum (622 snaps). That’s a whole lot of experience for a unit that has been trying to find its way for the most part since head coach Neal Brown arrived on campus.

“We played good against teams we should play good against, now that we play against these teams we have to be able to raise our game,” Brown said. “That’s the next step for that group.”

The group will remain relatively unchanged outside flipping Milum, who impressed greatly as a true freshman and was the major catalyst behind Moorer losing playing time, to the left side.

It’s a move that makes sense on many levels because Milum is left-handed so it is more natural for him when it comes to making things more natural for him in the basic fundamentals of playing the position.

The offensive line has assumed a leadership role in winter workouts, which can be expected given the overall experience but putting that into productive play on the field is the challenge.

In terms of the depth aspect, the Mountaineers believe that Virginia transfer Ja’Quay Hubbard and redshirt sophomore Jordan White have put together strong off-seasons and now the onus is on them to prove that they’re ready to become solid pieces of the rotation or challenge for a spot.

“Can they push to not only get in the rotation but for one of those starting spots?” Brown asked.

Preseason discussion is nice, but results matter and the offensive line has to showcase that the development under position coach Matt Moore has this group ready to elevate the offense. Things start and stop with the play of those up front and the time is now.

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