Building the Perfect Player: WV’s Ultimate ’26 OL

<p><strong><em>The Combine Series Camp is returning to WV on May 3rd at the Highlands Sports Complex in Triadelphia, WV! Code PRZWVCombine25 will give you a discount when you registe</em>r <a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/1484/register/combine-series-west-virginia">HERE</a><em>!</em></strong></p>   <p>While nobody is perfect, there are several athletes across WV who have gotten very close to perfecting a certain part of the game at their position. We're identifying those special talents as we build the “Perfect Player” position by position and attribute by attribute. We'll highlight the OL next and pull together tools from athletes with the size, body composition, athleticism, power, hand use and so on that are the best of the best. In the end, these traits combined into one athlete would be the best athlete that WV has to offer at that position. Let's get into the lab!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>SIZE AND FRAME</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">There aren't really any 6'6-6'7 offensive line behemoths in the state for the 2026 class but Fairmont Senior's [player_tooltip player_id='1518161' first='DaeShaun' last='Floyd'] has very good length and a wide frame that fits our Perfect OL Build. In the 6'4 325 range, Floyd looks like a prototypical college offensive guard and looks the part in person as well. He's working hard to continue developing and transforming his body to maximize his given physical traits and should take another step forward during his senior year. We anticipate Floyd continuing to build on the flashes he showed as a junior for the Polar Bears in 2025. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>POWER</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='866258' first='Aryn' last='McPherson'] is a talented two-way lineman for the Huntington Highlanders and has the potential to flip to DL in our rankings after next season. He placed on our Perfect OL Build under Power which you can see a plethora of on film and after seeing him live at our Stock Up Showcase earlier this year. McPherson can generate a lot of force on both sides of the line and is very tough to move off the line of scrimmage. He's a mauling run blocker on offense with powerful hands and a strong lower body. McPherson's strength and power allow him to create a high amount of knockdowns as a very physical blocker. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>MOBILITY</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Morgantown's [player_tooltip player_id='1238323' first='Blake' last='Buffington'] is a bit lower ranked on the 2026 OL rankings compared to others on this list which is likely to change in the future, but is clearly one of the more mobile offensive linemen in this class. He's a punishing pulling guard for the Mohigans and you can see why his coaches love utilizing him in that aspect so often when watching him. Buffington has very good short-area quickness with the speed to easily act as a lead blocker for his running back without his teammate having to wait for him to get upfield. He's an agile athlete who's comfortable blocking down to the second level of the defense and playing in space. It was also impressive to see Buffington hurdle defenders who fell in his pulling path without missing a stride and continuing his momentum effortlessly. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>STRENGTH</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Strength is the strength of 2026 Huntington OL [player_tooltip player_id='866257' first='Mason' last='Ramsey']'s game as one of the stronger athletes in the state. He's a bully on the field and easily moves his man off of the line of scrimmage as if he wasn't there. Ramsey has strong and powerful hands with clear lower body strength as well to generate force in the running game and when stopping defenders in their tracks in pass protection. He's a mauling people mover and it's easy to see why so many D1 programs have been after his services to date. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>TECHNIQUE</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Being a technician is crucial for offensive linemen to be successful when physical traits can only get you so far. 2026 Cabell Midland OL [player_tooltip player_id='1106643' first='Ben' last='Guilliams'] is one of the best in the state in that regard as a clear student of the game when watching him on film. He plays with a wide base and gets good arm extension on his blocks. Guilliams keeps his elbows tight and gets his hands inside of defenders consistently to easily control them. He's also an underrated athlete for his size with good footwork and always keeping his feet moving in both run and pass blocking. Guilliams' technique allows him to generate power to leverage his defender which paired with his physical strength makes him a punishing blocker. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>PHYSICALITY</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Many would argue that physicality is the top trait in offensive line prospects that evaluators look for and 2026 Huntington OL [player_tooltip player_id='1138205' first='Caleb' last='Parlier'] has an abundance of it. He'd fit in well at several spots on this list, but Parlier was clearly one of the nastiest players in his class when watching his film. He has violent hands and a devastating punch that often sets defenders on the ground on first contact. You can tell Parlier plays with an edge and isn't satisfied during the play until his man is lying on the turf. He's an explosive athlete for a big-man prospect and plays through the echo of the whistle. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>HAND USE</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">2026 Philip Barbour big man [player_tooltip player_id='1138206' first='Malachi' last='Cross'] uses his wrestling background well on the football field and earned a spot on our Perfect OL Recruit list for his hand use. Cross has a good understanding of leverage and has a long wingspan with his 6'4 frame to aid in his reach. He has good hand placement on defenders keeping them inside and getting good extension with his arms. Cross does a nice job in pass protection as well because of those traits along with striking in pass sets. He has some big paws to utilize as an offensive lineman which paired with his other physical traits make him a top OL prospect in the 2026 class. </p>

The Combine Series Camp is returning to WV on May 3rd at the Highlands Sports Complex in Triadelphia, WV! Code PRZWVCombine25 will give you a discount when you register HERE!