MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Zach Frazier has worn the No. 54 jersey for the last eight years. In that time, he led Fairmont Senior High School to a state championship and helped to build the most dominant position group for the Mountaineers.
This weekend, Frazier will hear his name called at the NFL Draft and fitting of his soft-spoken nature, he will receive the news of his new football home at a low-key gathering.
“I’m just going to be with family,” Frazier said. We’re going to have a small get-together with family and just wait for the call. It is going to be a stressful time. But it is exciting to be in this position.”
The “Polar Bear Pipeline” to WVU that started with Jake Abbott and Darius Stills in 2017 continued with Dante Stills in 2018 and Frazier in 2020.
“It was easy to talk to them and talk about their transition up here. That really helped me out.
“All those guys, practicing against them and playing with them, it has been great. It is really special too to see that many guys from one high school go up to West Virginia, play together and have really good careers.”
Playing at a position that is the most difficult for true freshmen to enter the lineup right away at the major college level, Frazier earned a starting spot in the 2020 season opener. 47 games later, Frazier leaves WVU as a two-time All-American, three-time All-Big 12 pick and a three-time team captain. He made 37 consecutive starts in the middle of West Virginia’s offensive line.
While Frazier took care of business on the field, he credits his family and high school sweetheart and wife of nearly a year, Stephanie, for providing a support system off the field.
“They kept me grounded. They helped raise me to be a good person. My wife, she keeps me in check. I am really thankful for her. She keeps me organized and keeps the calendar for me. She is really good, so I am thankful for her.”
Frazier’s buildup to the NFL Draft was altered by the leg fracture he suffered in the closing seconds of the Baylor game in the regular season finale. His rehab timeline allowed him to go through some drills at the NFL Combine seven weeks ago.
“At the time, we weren’t sure if I was going to be able to do anything at the combine. I just kept pushing and thankfully my body responded enough to where we felt that I would be ready to do those position drills in [Indianapolis].”
As one of the top center prospects in the draft, Frazier has spoken with teams throughout the NFL. But he says it is difficult to assess which teams may have the most interest in selecting him.
“I was told not to really read into that because teams won’t give away their hand, I guess. It is really hard to tell who is interested and who is not. Sometimes I think teams are interested. But I don’t really know. At the end of the day, I don’t get to pick.”
An average play in the NFL lasts around five seconds. But as the anchor of an offensive line, the center must go through a number of pre-snap reads. In Frazier’s meetings with NFL teams, identifications before the snap were the main topics of conversation.
“It starts with identifying the front that they are in. Then on most plays, I have to call the mike [linebacker], whether it is a run or a pass play. I identify the mike so everyone on the line knows where we are working to. Also, I am looking at feet and looking at hands and stances to see if anyone is giving away the blitz.
“They’ll also pull up your film and ask you questions about what you are doing on a certain play. Some of them will install their own plays and see if you can pick it up and teach it back to them.”
The most common draft projection for Frazier sees him being taken on Day 2 of the draft, where the second and third rounds will be held. With meetings, the combine and workouts now complete, Frazier admits that waiting is the hardest part.
“Now I am just getting in shape and getting ready for rookie mini-camp and waiting, which isn’t too fun. But I am excited for it.”
When his first professional contract is signed, Frazier has a simple yet important first purchase in mind.
“It depends on which city I go to but I would like to get some type of small house that I could have a little backyard for my dogs or something like that. I think that is all I really want.”
Years of individual workouts, team practices and performances on the field have led Frazier to the point where he will reap the rewards, both financially and with the chance to play in at the highest level of professional sports.
“It has been my dream since I have been probably since middle school and elementary school to play in the NFL. I have grown up watching the NFL and watching the draft, watching everyone else get their name called. To finally be in that position, it is pretty special. And I can’t wait.”