MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia will be without one of its team leaders for the rest of the season. Coach Neal Brown announced Tuesday that junior offensive lineman Josh Sills is out for the year after undergoing surgery on Monday.

Brown did not specify the nature of the injury, only saying that it was a “lingering issue” unrelated to a more minor injury that forced Sills to miss the North Carolina State game.

Brown said it is too early in the process to know whether Sills will apply to the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility. Sills redshirted during his freshman year.

“That discussion will be had down the road. We haven’t had those talks,” Brown said. “He’s going to miss this year, and we’ll see what happens next.”

Neal Brown bye week press conference

The sting of losing Sills is somewhat eased by the two games that Chase Behrndt has played in his place at right guard. After bouncing around from center to the bench to right guard and back to center, Behrndt finally appears to have found his sweet spot as a right guard.

“It says a lot about him,” Brown said. “He lost the starting position during fall camp. That was based more on erratic snaps than pass protection or run blocking. Since moving back and getting locked in on right guard spot, he took the coaching. His work ethic from an investment standpoint as far as being prepared to play. He’s had two great weeks of practice, and he’s played at a really high level.”

The Mountaineers played only five offensive linemen the whole way against Kansas. However, Brown said the long-term plan is to rotate John Hughes behind Behrndt and Mike Brown behind James Gmiter at left guard. He’s also looking for a way to gets left tackle Junior Uzebu some reps, though that seems like a scenario that would be dictated by the scoreboard with Colton McKivitz reliably manning the position.