It didn’t take Chase Behrndt long to get used to being the ‘old guy’ in the offensive line room.

That’s because if he’s being truthful, the fifth year senior from Missouri has already been playing the role for years despite his class standing.

Even as a wide-eyed freshman, Behrndt spent most of his time around the upperclassmen on the team learning the tricks of the trade.

“I’d pick up on some of their traits and pick up on some other guys and really try to combine them with the qualities that I liked the best,” he said.

That’s not to say there hasn’t been some bumps in the road as he’s been in and out of the lineup over his career and was suspended the first game of the season along with 10 of his teammates. But he’s learned from those experiences to help guide him in that role.

Behrndt always tells his position coach Matt Moore that he treats it like a roller coaster but when he gets to the top he’s always looking down, never knowing what could come next.

“You have to be prepared in life for the bumps and bruises that come along the way,” he said.

But it was the competition aspect of it all that continued to push him. Now, his coaching staff looks at Behrndt as a leader of the offensive line. His versatility allows him to move all around the front, although he is likely anchored at center for the time being.

That flexibility was on display earlier this season when Behrndt spent the week practicing across the formation leading up to the Baylor game. He usually interior-placed option slid around to guard and even tackle in preparation for the game. But that’s when things changed.

Due to a positive COVID-19 test by starting left guard James Gmiter, the Mountaineers were forced to scrap those plans and adjust on the fly. That meant Behrndt sliding into his natural role at center and becoming the tie for the rest of the Mountaineers offensive line unit.

“To be honest it was pretty wild. We had a lot of guys getting reps and I feel like really with how much stuff we were trying to do it really did work in our favor,” he said.

It wasn’t unheard of for Behrndt considering that he played tackle in high school and then moved to guard and eventually center at the college level. Even during his time in high school he served as the team’s long snapper so he had some experience in that realm.

To improve his snapping at this level, Behrndt helped to organize time with the quarterbacks each day during the layoff to execute 50-100 a day under center and in shotgun. It was admittedly a big adjustment for him last year, but that work has paid off with snaps on target.

He has now spent most of his time rotating between guard and center but personally would be up to the challenge to play anywhere and given how uncertain this season has been perhaps he’ll get the chance.

“I feel like it’s something that could be in my arsenal,” he said.

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

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