MORGANTOWN - WVU center Tyler Orlosky has that twinkle in his eyes.
You know the one. The ornery one that suggests there are some really, really good stories in the guy's past.
"We could tell a lot of 'em," Mountaineer line coach Ron Crook said with a smile.
Fellow lineman Tony Matteo laughed when asked to recite a few.
"Probably not appropriate," he said.
Maybe not. But understand Orlosky could help the Mountaineers forge some really nice stories in the upcoming season. He's the leader and a key up front.
"We're really excited about where he's at and how far he's come along," Crook said.
Now, is Orlosky the most talented WVU lineman? Maybe not. Yodny Cajuste was already playing left tackle last season as a redshirt freshman. Adam Pankey could make an NFL roster in 2017. Kyle Bosch was highly recruited and first went to Michigan.
Just don't undersell Orlosky. According to NFL Draft Scout, the 6-foot-4, 296-pound redshirt senior is the nation's No. 4 center available in his class for next year's draft. He's behind only LSU's Ethan Pocic, Wisconsin's Dan Voltz and Southern Mississippi's Cameron Tom.
"I think he has a shot," Crook said. "A lot has to happen between now and then. Things can happen positively and negatively, so we don't spend a lot of time on that. I know it's a goal of his, though, and something he wants to work toward."
For now, however, he's captain of the Good Ship O-Line.
"We all make line calls," Matteo said, "but he's the solidifier in the middle."
"I've always had a good relationship with coaches," Orlosky said after WVU's Saturday practice. "I think here I've worked my way to a good relationship with coaches, especially Dana [Holgorsen]. I think having that connection makes me the person I am."
If you've not taken the time to study Orlosky, he's from St. Edward High in Cleveland.
"When I was in the eighth grade I wanted to play baseball," Orlosky said. "My mom said I was going to play football. I thought, 'Well, if I'm going to be forced to play, I might as well like it.' I started liking it, got a lot of scholarship offers and I stuck with it. I started thinking maybe this is for me."
He played first baseman and pitcher. ("A lot less running," he laughed.) In football, though, 30 to 35 Division I offers came his way. WVU offered him as a sophomore.
"I thought if they want me as a sophomore, clearly they like what they see in me," he said.
Once in Morgantown, Orlosky was again forced, this time to learn the muscle memory of snapping.
"I didn't play center until I got here," he said. "My freshman year, Tony Matteo was the scout team center and he got hurt. They said, 'Can you snap?' I said I'd never tried. They told me to try and it stuck."
Again it's worked out. And these days he's the one with the quick wit and respect of his teammates.
"I'm really not that outgoing," he protested. "I just like to run my mouth a lot when we're out there [on the practice field] and in a game. It's more my role on the football team."
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Saturday practice notes:
n Before spring drills, Holgorsen said the offensive line needed work on pass protection. That's part of the reason Joe Wickline was brought on to the staff.
"I think it's gotten a lot better," Orlosky said. "Coach Wick's helped us a lot with that technique. The scheme really didn't need adjusted. Just technique at times was lacking. I think Coach Wick and Coach Crook have done a good job adjusting that."
n The Mountaineers scrimmaged most of Saturday's two-hour practice. Holgorsen said beforehand his goal was 100 snaps. He said the goal was another 100 in each of the last couple of padded practices, including the spring game at The Greenbrier.
n There were a couple players dinged on Saturday. Wide receiver David Sills took a hit when reaching high and catching a pass. He did not return. Likewise, linebacker David Long rode the stationary bike after suffering an injury above his left ankle.
One player that returned to the practice field, though, was kicker Josh Lambert, whose three-game suspension made news over the weekend. Holgorsen confirmed the report of the suspension. The kicker didn't work Saturday, but physically practiced this past Thursday. Mike Molina is projected to be the opening-game kicker.
n Holgorsen said tailback Rushel Shell was hurt this past Thursday, but returned and participated in drills Saturday. "Thursday resembled the old Shell," Holgorsen said. "I told him we need him to be a bad-ass all the time."
n There were no surprises to the first and second teams. The first-team defense consisted of Noble Nwachukwu and Christian Brown at ends, Darrien Howard at nose tackle, Justin Arndt at Sam, Al-Rasheed Benton at Mike, Sean Walters at Will, Nana Kyeremeh and Rasul Douglas at the corners and Dravon Henry-Askew, Marvin Gross and Jeremy Tyler at the safety positions.
n WVU's second-team offense on Saturday: QB Chris Chugunov, RB Kennedy McKoy, TE Stone Wolfley, LT Rob Dowdy, LG Matteo, C Amanii Brown, RG Grant Lingafelter, RT Colton McKivitz, FB Michael Ferns and receivers Gary Jennings and Sills.
n Receiver Shelton Gibson had a pair of touchdowns Saturday. One was long-distance after burning bandit Jeremy Tyler. Ka'Raun White caught a wide-open TD pass in the end zone. Gary Jennings caught a TD pass. Ferns also bulled in.
n Ferns' brother Brendan, a four-star recruit, attended practice.
n Among the nice defensive plays were a Douglas interception early and a pass rush from second-team end Adam Shuler on QB Will Crest. The latter led to a Holgorsen expletive.
n And finally . . .
In addition to the usual suspects at practice, there was D.J. Dollar, a deejay originally from Ghana hired to pump hip-hop music to the players. Dollar said he was hired to do four practices this spring and has done some basketball practices as well.
The song that's most requested, he said, was "Pipe It Up" by Migos.
Nearby sat ex-WVU coach Don Nehlen, who was asked if he ever had deejays at his practices.
"If I would have," he said, "it would have been country-western."