Prospect Profile: 'Elite' WR Joshisa Trader
One of the nation’s top overall prospects, Miami (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna wide receiver Joshisa Trader has an abundance of skills.
Having seen him play in pads and during seven-on-seven action, it was hard to narrow down what his best attributes were. That being stated, Trader and his teammates for South Florida Express all said the same thing when asked. His hands, so that’s where his list of attributes started below.
The 6-foot-1 and 175-pound pass catcher has consistently looked comfortable catching the football away from his body, even reaching back for a pass that’s behind him or jumping up and snagging it away from a defender.
Trader has been regularly known to catch a pass with one hand as well, while also having some fun afterwards:
In all seriousness, Trader might have the best overall set of hands of any receiver in the nation. No matter how a defensive back has defended him, he’s been able to secure catches that other players simply could not. To help him be able to use those hands, Trader’s quick feet have been a major asset.
A natural feel for when to stutter-step off the line, then take a power step to truly explode past a cornerback, Trader has made that look easy. He’s naturally adept at beating man coverage; Trader’s lateral mobility, especially near the line of scrimmage to help avoid cornerbacks, might be the most valuable component of his quick feet.
Once he catches the football, Trader has often moved laterally to avoid tacklers. After he’s cleared the first level of defenders, Trader can be explosive, too. Jump cuts, stop-and-start, and setting defenders up for sharp cuts were all a part of what he's been about to date.
Trader’s acceleration looked fantastic during games last season and during the early portion of the 2023 seven-on-seven campaign. When defenders have chased him, it’s rare that he’s caught. As for the long ball, that’s also been a part of his arsenal.
When he’s been called upon to run a deep post or go route, Trader has shown the speed to get over the top of the defense. This has placed defensive backs at a disadvantage because if they play press coverage, he has used his speed to run by them. Then again, if they have played off coverage, Trader's hands and quick feet have created big plays, as noted above. There’s one final component that definitely needed to be mentioned about Trader.
His competitiveness has shown throughout his career. He has wanted to win. All his natural attributes combined with his acquired football skills would not be maximized without a high level of competitiveness, and Trader has played hard no matter what the scoreboard showed.
That’s maturity and a team-first mentality. It’s also aided why so many schools have offered this young wide receiver a scholarship.
Miami, Florida, Florida State, UCF, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Oklahoma, Colorado, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Ole Miss have offered, among numerous others. Trader's offer list gave credence to where he’s been ranked as a prospect.
Rivals: 13, 2, and 3
On3: 85, 13, and 12
247: 44, 3, and 6
ESPN: 11, 3, and 4
Trader has deserved the praise and should be considered an elite high school football recruit, because that's what he's proven to be.
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