WVU football: PFF names six Mountaineers to its preseason All-Big 12 list

MORGANTOWN — Four West Virginia University football players were included in the preseason first-team All-Big 12 list released by Pro Football Focus this week.
The trio of Wyatt Milum, Doug Nester and Zach Frazier on the offensive line garnered offensive first-team honors, and safety Aubrey Burks was the lone Mountaineer to receive first-team recognition on defense.
Frazier has already been named a preseason All-American by multiple outlets, and was the lone representative from WVU on the Preseason All-Big 12 football team voted on by media and released by the league before last week’s media days in Arlington, Texas.
The Fairmont native started all 12 of WVU’s games at center last season and had 11 games without missing an assignment. He allowed just one sack and had 51 knockdown blocks.
Milum has played in 24 career games with 20 starts, including each of the Mountaineers’ 12 games last year at left tackle. Nester has 43 games under his belt with 41 starts, including 11 last year at right guard.
Burks, a junior, started each of WVU’s games at safety last year and finished as the Mountaineers’ second-leading tackler with 66, including 4.5 for loss and a sack. He also had an interception, a forced fumble and two pass breakups.
CJ Donaldson made PFF’s second-team offense after switching positions from tight end to running back and finishing as WVU’s second-leading rusher last year as a true freshman. He had 526 yards and eight touchdowns on 87 carries in seven games, but had his season cut short with a leg injury.
WVU linebacker Lee Kpogba was a preseason third-team defensive selection by PFF. He led WVU with 92 tackles last year in his first season with the Mountaineers after transferring from East Mississippi Community College. He had 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.
The Mountaineers are scheduled to open the season Sept. 2 at Penn State.