WVU DL Nate Gabriel Embraces Leadership Role: ‘F*** it, We Ball!’

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – It’s not always easy for each WVU football team to find a true leader, let alone in each position group, in this era of college football. The constant changing of rosters makes the culture consistency needed in establishing a leadership group difficult.

Fortunately for Rich Rodriguez, a returning contributor has emerged as the right guy to lead his 2026 defensive line. Nate Gabriel, a junior thrown to the fire instantly as a freshman in 2024 and then played in all 12 games under Rodriguez last season, has embraced a request from both Rodriguez and defensive line coach William Green to step up as more of a leader this year.

After feeling Gabriel was leading by example throughout 2025, the WVU staff asked him to be more vocal moving forward. And while being vocal doesn’t come natural for Gabriel, he’s ready to do what’s necessary for the unit to achieve success as a group.

Green said Gabriel has done a “phenomenal job for us up front, just being a leader” when asked to evaluate one of his veteran players on Monday, August 10.

Gabriel even revealed the slogan the defensive tackles now use with his guidance before practice every day. “F*** it, we ball!”

He explained it’s all about eliminating any outside noise and hunkering down to focus on there task at hand, whether that’s winning a play at practice, properly completing a drill or what’s to come when they need to rush the passer at a big moment in a game.

“We cut out all the outside noise and we just focus on ourselves.”

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