Two Key Pieces of West Virginia's Offense Announce They Are Not Entering the Portal

There is no sugarcoating it. The West Virginia offensive line was torturous to watch from beginning to end in 2025. The guard spots and right tackle position were clear weaknesses for WVU, regardless of who they had in the game. The two most consistent areas where there were some bright spots were left tackle and center, where Nick Krahe and Landen Livingston started every game that they were healthy.

On Saturday, the pair announced that they would be back with West Virginia 2026, meaning Rick Trickett will have two returning starters next fall, which is two more than the group had a year ago.

Still Committed! #HardEdge #HailWV #ESP https://t.co/sFGBY1qkNQ
— Landen Livingston (@LandenLivingst1) January 10, 2026

Home ⛰️ pic.twitter.com/ehBjpltrtS
— Nick Krahe (@nick_krahe) January 10, 2026

Sure, West Virginia could have pursued some guys out of the transfer portal who could be considered an upgrade or push them for the starting spot, but they played well enough in their first full year as a starter, and with better play alongside them, they should be able to take a significant step in year two.

Krahe allowed just one sack in 395 pass snaps. He also allowed 17 pressures, 13 hurries, and three QB hits, giving him a pass protection grade of 71.9 by the folks over at Pro Football Focus. His best game of the season came in the win over Colorado, where he dominated his one-on-ones, not allowing a single pressure on the day. The next step for him is improving in the run game, which again, should naturally happen with improved play from the left guard spot.

As for Livingston, he was elite in pass protection. He allowed just five pressures, three hurries, one QB hit, and one sack in 357 pass snaps, giving him a team-best pass pro grade of 89.1. Six times this season, Livingston didn't allow a single pressure, and finished the year strong in that area, with that being the case in four of the team's final five games.

While there will be heated competition at left guard, right guard, and right tackle, it will be nice for Rodriguez to know he does have some experience returning up front.

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