Since Andrew Jackson came to West Virginia in 2021 to be the team’s new defensive line coach, his position group has had to deal with an offensive line that included current NFL Draft prospect Zach Frazier.

While Frazier was a help to WVU’s offense, he was trouble for the Mountaineers’ defensive line.

Jackson credited the improvement to the defensive line has come from going up against Frazier as well as the other members of the offensive line in practices.

“Number one, Zach’s a technician,” said Jackson.

“Start off the field, he does everything the right way, so example wise it’s there. Then you take it all the way through to how he got off the field that last play when he hurt himself. That passion, all that stuff’s there so you don’t have to talk about it, you just put on the laser in practice like you better have your stuff ready, that guy is going to put you in the dirt.”

Jackson then mentioned the mental improvement of the defensive line, how they need to have the mindset piece of getting off the block and wanting it more than the other person, which he attributed to going against Zach Frazier everyday.

“The mindset piece comes into getting off the block, having to want it more than the other person and that’s going back to going against Zach Frazier everyday. He wanted it more than everybody all the time so it was hard to make plays versus him so you tried to match that everyday.”

West Virginia head coach Neal Brown also said Frazier not being on this team has helped the defensive line throughout spring practice.

Brown said without Frazier there for the first time in a long time, the defensive line wanted some payback for how successful Frazier was in practice.

“On Friday, really our d-line handed it to our offensive line, really got after them. I think part of the reason behind that, in the interior part of our defensive line… those guys had great days and part of that is, they’ve been going against Zach Frazier day in and day out and they lost more than one. So, this was the first day post him in a full day of pads and they were ready to return the favor,” Brown said last week.