MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Zach Frazier was a fixture on the offensive line at Fairmont Senior from the moment he entered the program and the script is repeating itself at the next level. Frazier has not only played significant snaps in every WVU game this fall, he has started six.
“It was my goal coming in,” Frazier said. “But even in camp, I didn’t know if it was going to happen. I just got an opportunity and went with it.”
When the Mountaineers opened the season against Eastern Kentucky, Frazier was instantly inserted into the starting lineup with Chase Behrndt suspended. So the first offensive play of Neal Brown’s second season was set in motion by Frazier.
“I was comfortable. It was what I worked for and it was my goal and dream. So I was excited to be out there.”
Frazier played primarily guard in high school and he has started the last five games for the Mountaineers at left guard. He is also the backup center.
“I learned center first. And when you learn center, you pretty much know what everyone does, so switching to guard is not very hard. When I am at guard, Chase (Behrndt) is making the calls so it is not too hard for me.”
Frazier began preparations for a possible move to center a year ago, when he made shotgun snapping a normal part of his routine. It has now become second nature.
“We probably get thirty or forty snaps in before every practice. In practice, we will switch back and forth, I will go to center some just so I am getting some center reps, just in case Chase ever does get hurt. I don’t really think about it too much. Thinking about snapping the ball will probably mess me up. It is just something I do now. It is more muscle memory now than it was a couple months ago.”
Frazier is joined on the WVU roster by four fellow former Polar Bears, Jake Abbott, Rhett Heston and Darius and Dante Stills. The elder statesman of that group knew what the Mountaineers were getting when he signed.
“He is very advanced for being a freshman,” said Darius Stills. “I knew that my senior year in high school when he came in and started benching 315 like it was nothing. So I knew he was going to be special then. He has come up here and is producing very well and is starting now. That speaks for itself. He is a great young man.”
As it worked out, Frazier was purposely put in position to go up against Darius and Dante on many snaps throughout training camp. The Stills brothers won their share but Zach says he got on the scoreboard.
“They definitely gave me a lot of confidence going through camp. They would tell me I was doing the right things and gave me a lot of support. I would go against them in practice and they definitely got me their fair share and made me look bad a couple times. But I got them a few times. That gives me a little confidence when we can compete together in reps against each other. But they win way more than I win.”
Frazier comes from a football family. His father Raymond played center at the college level.
“My dad helped me a lot. He played college football at Fairmont State and he has always worked with me since I was in pee-wee football with the fundamentals and everything I needed to know. Just understanding football, he helped me out a lot. The plays we ran in high school, I feel like I had a lot better understanding than most people because of my dad.”
Frazier led the Polar Bears to three appearances in the Class AA state championship game, winning a title in 2018.
“We have a great program down there with great coaches. They definitely helped all of us. It is fun to play for coach (Nick) Bartic and all of our coaches. I think we have a good system down there.”
In addition to his work on the gridiron at East-West Stadium, Frazier also claimed four state wrestling championships, using a similar skill set to what he displayed on the offensive line.
“There’s definitely similarities with leverage and using your hands. That’s definitely important for playing offensive line.”
Frazier’s most impactful play so far was in double overtime of the Baylor game. Leddie Brown was sprung into the end zone on the left side of the line thanks to a path that was plowed by big number-54.
“The guy that was in front of me crossed my face. So I just kind of drove him inside. I kept driving him to the A-gap. It kind of widened the hole enough for Leddie to get through.”