Wyatt Milum is focused on becoming a leader after key departures
Last season Wyatt Milum was able to fly under the radar.
Surrounded by talent which included Zach Frazier, the o-line was led by Frazier as well as Doug Nester.
"It's a little weird especially coming into college having [Frazier] and Doug (Nester) there," Milum said.
Milum is thought of as one of the best offensive linemen, not only in the Big 12 but in the country. Milum now is working at becoming the leader for the offensive line that Frazier and Nester were for him.
"If they're not doing what they're supposed to, I'll get on them," Milum said.
Growing into this leadership role will be easier for Milum as the Mountaineers return production across the board from the o-line last year, with the maturity level already being there.
"The good thing is we have an old group. We have Ja'Quay Hubbard, Brandon Yates, Nick Malone, Tomas [Rimac], so it's really they're older guys and they know what the standard is here. So, yeah, it's a leadership role, but it's a good thing because we have older players."
WVU offensive line coach Matt Moore has been around Milum for a few years now and he sees him as a guy who can continue to develop into an elite offensive lineman.
"The next step for Wyatt is just being an elite pass protector off the edge. That's something he''s got to continue to work on really taken his game to the next level," Moore said.
"When you got a player like Wyatt, you got to find ways to coach them because they're really, really, good at what they do, they work really hard, they're older. It's just like if you're a teacher in the classroom and you got some really gifted students and students that struggle, you have to teach them all. That's what we've really worked hard at is having things for Wyatt to work on to get him to be that elite pass protector on third and long off the edge. Week one he's going to be challenged with one of the best pass rushers if not the best pass rusher in college football this year. That's the next step we're trying to take with him."
Part of the process of teaching him this offseason has been helping him pick up on tricks from opposing defensive line's and linebackers. Adding that part to his game can help him become a smarter football player and be anticipatory rather than reactionary.
"It's just continually working on the type of sets you take, not just doing the same thing. You know, understanding body demeanor form the defensive line, understanding linebacker leverage and really trying to hone down and understand what that guy is going to do," Moore said.
"If you can hone it down to he's either going to do this or this, it's a lot better than just sitting off the ball and going, wow, I don't know what he's going to do. It's a lot of studying, it's a lot of film watching and it's a lot of working on technique at practice with his hands, we're just doing all those little things to help him. he wants to be the best and he will do whatever you ask him to do to be the best."
The hype that surrounds Milum is somewhat similar to the hype that surrounded Frazier last year. Milum said he and Frazier never discussed how to handle it as they just blocked out the noise.
"Frazier never really talked about that stuff either. Me and him I think we just don't pay attention to it. We're just here to play football and try and make this team better. I'm just trying to help this team win a Big 12 Championship," Milum said.
Now with Frazier gone, Milum is the next in-state kid to step up as the leader of the offensive line. A group that performed among the best in the country a year ago will look to do the same in 2024.
"That's our main focus, we want to win the Big 12 Championship this year. That's our only mindset. We want to make that game, we want to win it. I think if you don't have that mindset there's something wrong there, but that's our mindset," Milum said.
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