Zach Frazier didn’t need much time to make his presence felt in Pittsburgh. The former West Virginia center, selected 51st overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, walked into the Steelers’ lineup and immediately took over the starting job.
Frazier arrived in the league after a four-year run with the Mountaineers, where he started 46 games. A Fairmont Senior High School alum, he stayed close to home when Pittsburgh called on draft night, and the fit has looked seamless from the start.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, now in his first season with the team after being hired last January, has been effusive in his praise of the rookie center.
“Very diligent in his preparation. Very serious.
Really good communicator. Asks all the right questions.
His practice ethic is top-notch. His physicality and ability to play with leverage is unique.
He’s as unique of a center that I’ve had the opportunity to coach.”
"He's as unique of a center as I've ever coached."#Steelers HC Mike McCarthy on Zach Frazier @PGH_SportsTV pic.twitter.com/SUwhBFhX40
McCarthy has been around the NFL sideline for nearly 20 years, and as an offensive-minded coach, he understands exactly what a center like Frazier can mean to an offense - especially for a team building around whoever lines up at quarterback in the years ahead.
The numbers back up the praise. Pro Football Focus has Frazier graded as the top center in football through seven weeks. His 78 overall grade leads all 35 qualified centers, while his 75.5 pass-blocking grade ranks third and his 78.9 run-blocking mark sits second.
Pittsburgh’s offensive line has also surged as a unit. Since Week 3, PFF has the Steelers grading out as the third-best offensive line in the league.
After changes up front, including rookie first-round pick Max Iheanachor in the lineup, the group has taken a clear step forward. It’s a young front, with four starters on rookie contracts, and Frazier has become the anchor.
That matters even more because a major payday could be coming. Frazier is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, and he looks poised to cash in. His timing is strong, too, with the center market jumping after Tyler Linderbaum signed a three-year, $81 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency last March.
For West Virginia, the early returns could hardly be better. Frazier has gone from Mountaineer standout to one of the NFL’s best centers in short order, and he’s on track to become one of the most accomplished pros the program has produced.
In Other News...
West Virginias Rotation Is Taking Shape But A Key Battle Isnt Over
West Virginias preseason exhibitions have given Ross Hodge a clearer look at how his first Mountaineers rotation might settle in, and the early signs suggest a compact core is already separating itself from the pack. Hodge has leaned on a group he trusts, using the exhibitions to sort through a roster that looks deeper and more versatile than the average preseason group, while also getting a better read on which players can help in meaningful minutes once the games start counting.
Still, the picture is not fully set, because there are players on the edge of the rotation who have at least made the decision more complicated. The Mountaineers have enough pieces to mix and match, and that kind of flexibility can be a strength, but it also means the final pecking order is still being fought over behind the scenes. For a team trying to build identity early, the most interesting question may be less about who starts and more about who earns a lasting role once the roster trims down to its true eight or nine. [Read more 🡒]
Ross Hodge Sent An Early Message To West Virginias Young Frontcourt
The first real teaching moment of the Ross Hodge era arrived quickly for West Virginias young frontcourt. In an exhibition against Wheeling, freshman Aliou Dioum was whistled for a technical foul after hanging on the rim following a dunk, and Hodge made sure the message was delivered immediately on the floor. It was the kind of correction that can get lost in a preseason tuneup, but for a staff trying to establish standards early, it clearly mattered.
Dioum stayed in the game and still made his presence felt, finishing with seven points, two rebounds and two blocks in seven minutes. Even in a non-competitive setting, Hodge treated the sequence as a reminder that habits count, especially for a group of young bigs learning how to operate within the details. For West Virginia, it was a small moment with a larger purpose, the sort of baseline expectation that can define how the frontcourt develops from here. [Read more 🡒]
WVUs Defensive Ceiling Looks Shakier Than Fans Wanted To Admit
West Virginias defensive profile has become harder to gloss over as the Big 12 schedule has worn on. A look at the Pro Football Focus grades and snap counts shows a unit with only a few players grading above 70, which is a pretty thin margin for error when the games get tighter and the competition gets more explosive. The struggles in that four-game stretch in conference play exposed how quickly things can slip when the back end is under pressure.
Geimere Latimer has been one of the steadier pieces, piling up a heavy snap load and holding up well overall. But the broader picture still points to a defense that has had trouble finding enough reliable play at safety, and that has left the passing game vulnerable in ways West Virginia could not afford. The question now is not whether the Mountaineers have some individual pieces to build around, but whether the ceiling of the unit is lower than many hoped heading into the season. [Read more 🡒]