Nate Gabriel’s name keeps coming up around West Virginia’s defense, and that says plenty about where he stands heading into the fall. With so many holdovers from the Neal Brown era no longer in the picture, Gabriel is one of the few remaining players expected to matter on either side of the ball. For the Mountaineers, he’s not just a returning piece - he’s a potential difference-maker.
The defensive lineman is set to be a full-time starter for the first time in his career, and that opportunity comes with weight. Gabriel could have moved on when the coaching change happened.
He also could have transferred after last season. Instead, he stayed put because loyalty matters to him.
“I’m the same man since high school, never transferred. I’m going to be the same loyal man in college.
Never transfer," he said. "I’m just a loyal guy, for real.
I like sticking with my guys.”
That mindset has made him an important figure in a room that needs steady hands. Defensive line coach William Green said Monday that Gabriel’s job goes beyond making plays at the line of scrimmage.
“Big thing for him is just playing with the energy and effort he does every single day, and just being a leader. We talked to him about not just being a leader in the room, but also being a leader on the team because he’s kind of got that personality and he can do that.”
Gabriel said the vocal side of leadership doesn’t come naturally, even if he has the traits to grow into it. He’s been pushing himself to get more comfortable with that role, especially as fall camp gets going.
“Going in before fall camp, really before summer, I was having talks with my coach; he was saying, ‘Yeah, you’re a good example leader, but we need you to be more of a vocal leader,’ and that’s what I’m working on. That’s what I’m trying to do better this fall camp.
I definitely do have to step out of my comfort zone to do something like that because we do have vocal leaders, but we do need more in the room. Some days it comes natural to me; some days I don’t want to do it, but as that leader, you have to get up and do it.”
West Virginia also needs more than leadership from him. With the Mountaineers thin and inexperienced up front, Gabriel has to be one of their top run defenders and a player who shows up every Saturday with his best stuff. He’s flashed that kind of ability before, but this fall is about turning those flashes into something consistent.
That expectation isn’t new, either. Gabriel has been one of the more talked-about defensive players around the program since spring, and Rich Rodriguez, Zac Alley, and others have praised the progress he’s made.
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Rich Rodriguez Is Giving West Virginia Fans Real Reason To Believe
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The other side of the ball is offering its own intrigue, with Mack moving closer to a rotation role on the defensive line and redshirt freshman Torbor challenging for a starting linebacker job. Coaches have been encouraged by the way both players have handled the early part of camp, and the overall tone suggests these spots are far from settled. For a team still sorting out its identity this early in August, that kind of push from across the roster could end up shaping more than just the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]