West Virginia may have found something real up front in Nick Krahe.
That wasn’t obvious when the 2025 season opened. Krahe had only 30 in-game snaps on his résumé, and even with a couple years of development under the previous staff, he was still stepping into his first full-time starting role.
West Virginia knew there would be growing pains. There usually are when a lineman is learning on the fly.
Instead, Krahe became the Mountaineers’ steadiest presence on an offensive line that struggled far too often. It wasn’t a glamorous unit, and nobody is pretending otherwise, but Krahe separated himself as the most consistent piece in the group. That kind of year doesn’t just keep you afloat - it hints at a much bigger ceiling.
“Nick, last year, was probably our most productive and best offensive lineman. Nick can play tackle, but we brought in Coach Rick Trickett, and he wanted to try him at guard and he thought that would be Nick's natural position, and he had a great spring at guard.
He knows the system, and he's kind of the leader up front. I don't need rah-rah leaders, and Nick's not that guy, but from his work ethic, from his talent, from the way he represents our program, he's everything we want leading the guys up front.
I think Nick will be one of the best linemen in our league this year, and he's still getting better. With Coach Trickett's coaching and Nick's ability and work ethic, I think he's an all-conference guy.”
That’s a strong endorsement, and it lines up with what Krahe has already shown. He’s long been known for his work in the weight room and for taking exceptional care of his body, to the point that both staffs he’s played for have pointed to his very low body fat.
The issue was never effort or preparation. It was experience, along with the kind of technical polish that only comes from real snaps.
Last season gave him that runway. Krahe started every game for West Virginia and allowed just 17 pressures, three QB hits and one sack. He also flashed enough in the run game to make it clear there’s more here than just survival skills.
Now the move to guard gives him a chance to settle in and use that athleticism on the interior. With Rick Trickett coaching him, the expectation is that Krahe can keep sharpening the details and turn into a technician.
If he stays healthy and meets the standard, winter could bring a real decision. Turn pro, or come back for another year. The better long-term play might be another season in Morgantown, giving him three years of starting experience and two years of learning from one of the best in the business.
Either way, Krahe looks like a lineman headed for a professional future.
In Other News...
BYU Just Landed In The Middle Of A Wild Big 12 Debate
A recent On3 Coaches Poll offered a pretty clear snapshot of how wide open the Big 12 feels heading into the season, and BYU came out as the choice most coaches trusted to win the conference. That alone says plenty about the leagues balance of power, especially with Texas Tech, Utah, Houston, Arizona and Iowa State also drawing support in a vote that seemed to spread confidence around rather than concentrate it.
For West Virginia fans, the broader takeaway is familiar: there is no consensus answer in this league, only a cluster of teams with enough talent and intrigue to keep the conversation moving. The poll underscored just how unpredictable the Big 12 can be from year to year, with coaches clearly seeing a conference where the title race could tilt in several directions before it ever reaches the finish line. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rod Just Said What Frustrated WVU Fans Have Wanted Heard
West Virginias place in the Big 12 has long come with a built-in headache: the travel, the geography and the sense that the Mountaineers are often fighting uphill just to keep old regional ties alive. At Big 12 Media Day, Rich Rodriguez leaned into that frustration and put a cleaner frame around what many WVU fans have been saying for years, pushing for a future realignment built around regional groupings that would make the league feel a little more like home.
Rodriguez also floated a broader fix for the sports money problem, arguing that Power Four schools should pool TV revenue into one large package and spread it more evenly. The idea fits the same theme as the regional reset, but it is still more vision than reality, with the current conference and media setup unlikely to change quickly and the bigger college football revenue model still very much an open question. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Is Making One Last Exception For Pat Whites No. 5
West Virginia is planning a long-awaited salute to Pat Whites No. 5, with a ceremony set for Sept. 5, 2026, during the season opener against Coastal Carolina. The tribute will come as part of a White Out, giving the program a fitting stage to recognize one of its most iconic quarterbacks while finally moving toward an official jersey retirement.
The timing, though, comes with one last wrinkle before the number is taken out of circulation. Head coach Rich Rodriguez announced the plan, and the university has opted to delay the formal retirement for another season, leaving one more chapter to play out before No. 5 is permanently set aside. [Read more 🡒]