West Virginia offensive lineman Wyatt Milum (74) warms up before an NCAA football game against Iowa State on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Morgantown W.Va. Iowa State won 28-16.
West Virginia offensive lineman Wyatt Milum carries the ball during a game against Kansas State on Nov. 13, 2021, in Manhattan, Kan.
CHARLIE REIDEL | The Ƶsociated Press
West Virginia offensive lineman Wyatt Milum (74) warms up before an NCAA football game against Iowa State on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Morgantown.
MIKE BUSCHER | The Ƶsociated Press
West Virginia offensive lineman Wyatt Milum (74) warms up before an NCAA football game against Iowa State on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Morgantown W.Va. Iowa State won 28-16.
Wyatt Milum suspected he might wind up with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
ƵI was just sitting around with my family and friends waiting,Ƶ said Milum, a former Spring Valley High School and West Virginia University star selected by Jacksonville in the fourth round of the NFL Draft last week. ƵI had talked to Jacksonville at the Senior Bowl. I really didnƵt know, but I canƵt think of a better place than Jacksonville. IƵm glad I got picked to go there.Ƶ
Milum said he enjoyed his interview with the Jaguars staff at the Senior Bowl, as well as with offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett, a Beckley native, at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
ƵIt went great,Ƶ he said. ƵWe had a guy at West Virginia whoƵs on the Jaguars staff now. The one I had with the offensive line coach in Indy went great.Ƶ
Milum credited former Mountaineers offensive linemen Doug Nester and Zach Frazier, both of the Pittsburgh Steelers, for helping prepare him for the NFL. Nester also played at Spring Valley.
Former ƵU coach Neal Brown said he is a fan of all three of those players.
ƵAll three of those guys are among the hardest workers that IƵve ever coached, and so they all three have high-level ability, but they also have earned this opportunity with how they worked,Ƶ Brown said. ƵAnd so IƵm happy for them.Ƶ
Milum also thanked his coaches at ƵU.
Protecting Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence is the top priority for Jaguars blockers.
ƵI donƵt want to let anyone touch him,Ƶ Milum said. ƵI promised him that. ThatƵs my goal, to not let anyone touch Trevor. IƵm excited about that.Ƶ
Milum said heƵll give his all.
ƵTheyƵre going to see somebody who loves to play football,Ƶ Milum said. ƵSomeone who loves the game. Someone who enjoys it. I love this game. I wouldnƵt know what to do without football. IƵm a hard worker."
Brown said he expects nothing less of Milum.
ƵHe can play at a really high level as a rookie, and heƵs going to play in the NFL for a really long time,Ƶ Brown said.
Milum is projected by many as a guard in the NFL after playing tackle in college.
ESPN analyst Michael DiRocco wrote Milum will challenge left guard Ezra Cleveland in Jacksonville. Several other analysts touted MilumƵs versatility as a plus.
Brown said Milum can excel wherever he plays.
ƵHeƵs a smart player, first of all, so he can play all five positions,Ƶ Brown said. ƵHe can play tackle, guard, center. I know this, tackles are at a premium in the NFL, and heƵs played tackle at a high level, especially in pass protection, against some first-round draft pick. Abdul Carter (the third overall pick out of Penn State by the New York Giants), (Milum) got hurt and didnƵt play the second half against Penn State, but in the first half, the kid had no pressures and no sacks.Ƶ
Brown said MilumƵs pass protection stands out, as does his loyalty. During the draft, former Alabama coach Nick Saban said the Crimson Tide tried to lure the former Timberwolves star to Tuscaloosa via the transfer portal but was unsuccessful.
ƵWyatt Milum couldƵve (gone) anywhere in the country,Ƶ Brown said. ƵHe chose to come play at West Virginia and to play for us. At any point in his career, he couldƵve entered the portal and gone anywhere in the country and probably made more money, but he chose to stay at West Virginia and play for (former ƵU offensive line) coach (Matt) Moore and myself. I greatly appreciate that.Ƶ
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