West Virginia Mountaineers Add Transfer Walter Young Bear to Boost Offensive Line

The West Virginia Mountaineers football team has made a significant move to strengthen their offensive line by securing a commitment from Tulsa offensive lineman Walter Young Bear.

The 6-foot-3, 319-pound player chose West Virginia over offers from several top programs, including Pittsburgh, North Carolina, and Stanford, among others.

Young Bear, who started all 12 games for Tulsa in 2024, brings valuable experience to a team that will face considerable changes on the offensive front next season.

Young Bear, an Oklahoma native, has been a mainstay on the Tulsa offensive line, accumulating over 1,000 snaps during his career.

His 2024 season saw him play 874 snaps, contributing significantly to the team’s blocking efforts.

As a versatile lineman, he has experience playing both tackle and guard positions, but he emerged as a starter at left guard this past season.

His solid performance, earning a Pro Football Focus grade of 63.3 overall, highlighted his strengths, especially in pass blocking, where he earned a grade of 71.9 over 508 snaps.

West Virginia’s offensive line will undergo significant changes as the program loses its top six linemen due to graduation and the transfer portal.

With this in mind, Young Bear’s arrival is a critical step in addressing the team’s immediate needs. The Mountaineers currently have 12 scholarship offensive linemen, but many are freshmen or redshirt players, making Young Bear’s experience all the more valuable.

His addition could potentially allow him to start from day one, providing much-needed leadership on the offensive front.

Adding seasoned players like Young Bear is especially important given the challenges of rebuilding an offensive line through the transfer portal.

With the departure of key players like Tomas Rimac, Young Bear’s commitment offers stability and a reliable presence on the interior of the offensive line.

While West Virginia will need to bring in additional experience to round out the offensive front, Young Bear is an important first step in retooling the unit.

This commitment from Young Bear is just one piece of West Virginia’s broader effort to strengthen its roster for the upcoming season. With a rebuilt offensive line, the Mountaineers will be looking to build on their existing talent and continue competing at a high level in the Big 12. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see how the new-look offensive line performs next season.