College Football
WVU OL Wyatt Milum Recognized on Watch List for Major Award
To no surprise, West Virginia offensive lineman Wyatt Milum has been named to the 2024 Outland Trophy Watch List.
Being recognized by a major award as prestigious as the Outland Trophy completes an offseason full of recognition and expectations for the senior lineman.
After being such a strength in 2023, the offensive line is now one of the biggest question marks looming over WVU in 2024. It’s only natural for people to be unsure how a unit that lost multiple players to the NFL will perform, but players like Milum are why there’s plenty of hope for the offensive line to drive the West Virginia offense once again.
With Zach Frazier and Doug Nester embarking on their professional careers, Milum is among those next in line to be a leader of the group. And one national outlet that evaluates individual players believes Milum will step up and deliver.
In fact, PFF has Milum right near the top of the best returning offensive tackles in the Big 12. They actually have the WVU senior ranked less than a full point behind the No. 1 player.
Milum holds a grade of 80.1 right behind Iowa State’s Jalen Travis at 80.7.
So even though it will be difficult to fill the void left Frazier and Nester, it’s possible the Mountaineers will still experience a West Virginia native anchoring and leading the offensive line.
Despite all of the preseason recognition and being WVU’s highest rated player in College Football 25, is it possible Milum is actually underrated? Apparently David Kenyon of Bleacher Report thinks so, placing Milum on his list of the six underrated players poised to outshine their ratings.
“It’s safe to say Wyatt Milum is a priority NFL prospect right now. Last season, per Pro Football Focus, the West Virginia left tackle yielded nine pressures and zero sacks in 337 pass-blocking snaps. Checking in at 6’6″ and 317 pounds, Milum has a prototypical build for an NFL tackle. He’ll also offer plenty of experience, considering he enters the 2024 campaign with 32 career starts at WVU,” wrote Kenyon.
WVU recruited Milum as a consensus four-star prospect out of Spring Valley High School in Kenova, W.Va. as part of their 2022 class.
Watch the video below of Milum talking about being aware of the added pressure on him after a spring practice in April.
The list recognizes 75 returning standout interior linemen representing all 10 Division I FBS conferences and independents. The 2024 season will close with the award’s 79th winner being feted in Omaha, Nebraska, and the watch list offers a talented field of players alongside one returning FWAA All-American.
The recipient of the 2024 Outland Trophy will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards, live on ESPN on Dec. 12, 2024. The official presentation to the winner will be made at the Outland Trophy Awards Dinner sponsored by Werner Enterprises and produced by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee in Omaha, Neb., on Jan. 22, 2025.
For a related story, WV Sports Now broke down what to expect from the offensive line in 2024.
WVU Football 2024 Position Group Preview: Offensive Line Must Guide Team Again
