The Gold-Blue Spring Showcase wrapped up spring practices and previewed WVU’s team for the upcoming season. Head coach Rich Rodriguez has his team ready to compete in the Big 12 this fall as he returns for his second stint as the Mountaineers’ head coach. He brought in Jack Bicknell Jr. to coach the offensive line. He was a member of Rodriguez’s staff at Ole Miss in 2019 and most recently served as the offensive line coach at Wisconsin for the past two seasons. Read more: WVU Spring Game Offensive Line Preview.
Starters
The offensive line will feature five new starters from last season’s group. Ty’Kieast Crawford went out with the first team at right tackle, and Kimo Makane’ole was at right guard. One of the few returning offensive linemen, Landen Livingston, was the center with the first unit. Walter Young Bear was at left guard, and Nick Krahe was the first left tackle to take reps with the first string. The unit looked solid but needs some improvement as they move into fall practices.
READ: Coach Rodriguez Holds Press Conference Following Gold-Blue Spring Showcase
Returners
There are a few returning linemen from last year’s team. Center Landen Livingston (redshirt junior) made seven appearances in 2024 and looks to be the starting center. Nick Krahe (redshirt sophomore) took the field as the starting left tackle but did not get many reps last season. Tackle Xavier Bausley (redshirt junior) also returns from last season’s team but came out with the second unit at right tackle. Bausley has the most experience of the returning lineman, but it came at Jacksonville State under Rodriguez in 2023, when he started 11 games. He transferred to WVU last season. The three only combined for 116 snaps last season for the Mountaineers.
Transfers
WVU had to hit the transfer portal for many positions this season, including the offensive line. Guard Walter Young Bear (redshirt senior) transferred from Tulsa, where he started his final 14 games. He has 1,116 snaps under his belt and should provide valuable experience despite being a former walk-on. Guard Kimo Makane’ole (redshirt senior) came from LSU in the portal. He spent his first three seasons on offense but was moved to the defensive line in his fourth year with the Tigers. Tackle Ty’kieast Crawford (redshirt senior) transferred from Arkansas and played at Charlotte. He has played in 39 games in his career but only played 10 snaps last season after electing to redshirt to preserve his eligibility. He has 643 total snaps in his career.
Depth
The second unit is comprised of a few experienced players, including Bausley. Cooper Young was the center with the second group, Bausley was the right tackle, Gavin Crawford was the right guard, Robby Martin was the left guard, and Brandon Homady was the left tackle. Martin (redshirt freshman) is from Huntington, WV, and spent one season at NC State before transferring back home to WVU. Wyatt Minor (redshirt sophomore) is another in-state player who transferred from Youngstown State. He is from Clarksburg, WV, and appeared in one game for Youngstown State, and played left guard in the spring game with the third unit.
Preview
Nick Krahe showed hustle by recovering a fumble on the second drive by the first unit. He failed to pick up a blitz off the edge later in the drive and allowed a sack on the play, but the mistakes can be fixed after they watch the film. Robby Martin and Brandon Homady picked up a blitz on the second unit’s third drive, and it led to a long completion. The second unit scored on two plays that drive, which is in large part due to that blitz pick-up.
Center Landen Livingston was one of the players who spoke to the media after the showcase. He talked about the adjustments that are needed due to the speed of the offense. Livingston noted the simplicity of the offense but also touched on how important it is for him to get up to the ball and get set, as the offense can only go as fast as he takes to get set on the line of scrimmage. He should provide a lot of experience after learning from Zach Frazier a couple of seasons ago about the center position and how to be a leader. The offensive line looks poised under the tutelage of Jack Bicknell Jr., who has more than 35 years of experience coaching and playing the position.
