West Virginia’s defensive line room is packed on paper and thin in experience where it matters most. The Mountaineers list 16 linemen across the unit, but last season’s actual game action tells a much different story.
Nate Gabriel and Corey McIntyre, both juniors, were the steady pieces in the group a year ago. Gabriel averaged a little more than 20 snaps a game across 12 games, while McIntyre was right around that mark over nine appearances.
After them, the drop-off was extreme. The other 14 linemen combined for just four snaps in 2025.
That is not a typo. Brandon Caesar logged two snaps against Robert Morris.
Wilnerson Telemaque and Taylor Brown each got one. The remaining 11 players on the roster did not appear in a game for the Mountaineers last season, and only one of the 10 newcomers has FBS experience.
That’s the backdrop for a room that has to help cover roughly 216 defensive-line snaps if West Virginia is again defending about 72 plays per game. So what’s the answer?
“Whatever it takes,” defensive line coach William Green said. “I don't really have a number to say, 'Okay, you're going to play this many plays in a game, and that's going to be it.'
The thing is, we've got to develop depth so it's not just those two guys playing every snap. I think something that we can do is develop some guys to play and have some depth, and I think we got some good competition going in the room right now.”
In Other News...
Rich Rodriguez Just Put West Virginia's NIL Pressure In Focus
Rich Rodriguez has put a sharper spotlight on the reality West Virginia is trying to manage in the NIL era: keeping good players from becoming good players somewhere else. The Mountaineers coach said the program wants to reward players who have earned it, and he framed retention as part football, part finances, with the added burden of past departures tied to coaching turnover and tighter budgets.
Recent fundraising gains have given West Virginia a better chance to compete in that market than it had before, but the long-term test is still ahead. For a program trying to stabilize while the roster churn of modern college football keeps accelerating, the real answer on how well the Mountaineers can hold onto talent likely will not come until after the season plays out. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rodriguez Is Giving West Virginia Fans Real Reason To Believe
West Virginia footballs latest behind-the-scenes look offered a clearer picture of how much ground the program has covered since the start of Rich Rodriguezs return. The video walked through winter workouts, spring ball and summer training, with Rodriguez and the strength staff talking through the teams progress and the culture shift that has been taking shape along the way.
What stood out most was the level of buy-in. Rodriguez sounded genuinely encouraged by how the players have responded to the work, and that matters for a program trying to build momentum before fall camp fully gets rolling. There is still a long way to go, but the tone around the team suggests a group that believes it is moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Fall Camp Is Already Reshaping Key Position Battles
Five practices into fall camp, West Virginia is already seeing several competitions start to take shape as the coaching staff sorts through new faces, position changes and a few young players making a move. A Youngstown State transfer at wide receiver has put himself in the mix for playing time, while Kings switch from left guard to center has given the Mountaineers a clear leader in that battle. Griffin has also stood out for his ability to move around the offensive line, giving the staff some flexibility as it tries to build depth up front.
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 🡒]