West Virginia’s offensive line will be without familiar faces in NFL prospects Zach Frazier and Doug Nester this fall, but with continued senior leadership, their high-level standards are here to stay.
Redshirt senior lineman Ja’Quay Hubbard is entering his sixth season in college football and fourth on the Mountaineers’ offensive line. According to him, the offensive line’s progression does not end with Frazier and Nester’s departure.
“We can be even better than last year,” Hubbard said. “Obviously, you can’t replace a Zach Frazier or Doug Nester, but at the same time, I feel like we have the opportunity to carry on what they brought to us.”
Hubbard’s confidence in this year’s offensive line comes due in part to the comfort of blocking for senior quarterback Garrett Green.
“Blocking for Garrett is fun, man,” Hubbard said, smiling. “He’s really good with communicating with us back there.”
“When you’ve got someone who can run 21 miles per hour, obviously you can’t lack your performance, but it definitely lets you breathe a little bit, for sure.”
With or without Green, though, Hubbard and the offensive line have taken it upon themselves to remain the driving force of West Virginia’s offense.
The West Virginia offensive line has a reputation in recent history of leadership and reliability, something grown through high-level play of Frazier and others as well as during the pressures of finding a new quarterback. As such, despite WVU finding its guy in Green, the line’s new personnel has a legacy to carry, and Hubbard says it has every intention of doing so.
“Expectations don’t lower,” Hubbard said. “We’re expecting that we’re going to lead this team, and that’s the expectation for the coaches and ourselves.”
In achieving that standard, Hubbard has trust in fellow redshirt senior Brandon Yates, who will be taking over for Frazier, leading the offensive line at center.
“Yeah, (Yates) is not Frazier,” Hubbard acknowledged, “but he’s still a great player, very twitchy, very smart.”
Alongside Yates, though, Hubbard has taken on a greater leadership role as well. Luckily for the team, this is something he has taken steps toward for the past season.
One way Hubbard leads from his position is by matching the wavelength of the center calling the plays. He strove to do this with Zach Frazier at the helm and continues to do so with Yates.
“I really try to take it upon myself to know the calls before Yates even tells me,” Hubbard said, “because we’re a senior-loaded offensive line, so if I can be one step ahead, (I should be). It’s all about anticipation.”
These continued efforts are all in the name of growth. While obviously a point of emphasis for Hubbard and the offensive line, growth is also a key ideal across Neal Brown’s personnel, whether that be on the field or in the process leading up to it.
“Coach Brown has a saying all around the building: ‘Better your best.’ Whatever you did last year, everyone’s got to take it up a notch.”
“We just need everyone to elevate their game from the back-up kicker to the string staff,” Hubbard said. “We just want everyone in the program to elevate, and that’s what we’re working on right now.”
Growth in personnel brings with it a rise in expectations, and according to Hubbard, there is one essential goal guiding this team as fall approaches.
“We’re looking for Dallas,” Hubbard said. “Dallas this year, that’s the goal.”
Though West Virginia did see significant growth last season from its 5-7 record in 2022 to a 9-4 record and bowl game victory, such Big 12 Championship aspirations cannot be backed up with just words.
“Being great is not easy. Showing up an hour and a half before you have to is not easy. Staying extra for game film when everyone may be going to have fun is not easy.”
Under the leadership of the coaching staff and a unified goal, though, Hubbard says that effort is one everyone makes, not just in the offensive line, but across the team. Each Mountaineer’s shared efforts only bring the team closer, which, in turn, makes goals more attainable.
“This team, we love each other, and you can see that when we’re on the field,” Hubbard said. “You’ve got a team that loves each other and then you have coach Mike who instills that fighter mentality in us. We just feel unbeatable.”
From the top of the coaching staff to the last player on the roster, Hubbard says there is clear unity and thorough leadership across the team. He credits this to player empowerment from coach Neal Brown as well as personal efforts from players.
“That trust level is there,” Hubbard said. “Coach Brown has done a great job with really becoming a player-led team, but I’ve got to give credit to the guys in the locker room for taking that task on full-head.”
Being a player-led team is key to reaching the Big 12 Championship stage Hubbard and his teammates are striving for. Every step of the way, such a foundation allows communication to thrive, respect to grow, and results to occur.
“We’re going to be the ones on the field with (each other) fourth-and-one, fourth quarter, so we’ve got to built that relationship first to where I can say, ‘hey good job,’ or ‘hey, I need you to pick it up,’ and you can only do that and it be effective if you have the right relationship with somebody.”
As the Aug. 31 kick-off against Penn State draws nearer, the fruits of WVU’s labor grow closer to revealing themselves. No matter what the initial result is, though, Hubbard’s intentions are clear for the offensive line and the program, and those are to maintain and meet high expectations at every turn.
The first glimpses of the new West Virginia offensive line and improved team chemistry are this Saturday, April 27 at the Gold-Blue Spring Game. The inter-team scrimmage kicks off at noon at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Photo by Aaron Parker, Blue Gold Sports
