Josiah Trotter is 'Well Into His Rehab'

West Virginia is hopeful that the talented freshman linebacker will see the field this fall.

On National Signing Day, WVU head football coach Neal Brown was excited about the addition of linebacker Josiah Trotter, the son of former NFL linebacker, Jeremiah Trotter. 

Josiah had plenty of options in his recruitment, holding offers from Clemson, Maryland, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, South Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, and many others. Not only were the Mountaineers eager to get Trotter on campus because they were thin at linebacker, but because they truly believed he would be able to make an impact as a true freshman.

"He was the defensive leader in this class," Brown said in December. "He's a state champion. His brother is playing at a high level at Clemson. His father was obviously a longtime NFL player. And he played at an extremely high level this year at Saint Joseph's Prep. We're excited about him. He's got a chance to come in and play right away."

Trotter showed flashes of his playmaking ability during spring ball, proving to be on the right track to living up to the staff's expectations in year one. Unfortunately, Trotter suffered a lower leg injury in one of the spring practices that required him to undergo surgery. The road to recovery is a long one and at times can be mentally challenging for a young player who was just starting to find his way at the collegiate level. 

Defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley told reporters on Thursday that he is handling the rehab process well and is taking this opportunity to soak in as much as he can so that when he does return to action, he's able to contribute in some fashion.

"It's obviously something you can't control, so you just keep him in the meeting room, keep him around the guys, around the locker room. Josiah is a great teammate. He's there, he's learning. It's just all schematics for him. It's learning and sitting down and watching and obviously, the number one thing is getting healthy. With all the techniques they have now, the knee is probably better on the back end than it was on the front end but it's all about the rehab. That's where the focus is obviously, but he doesn't miss a beat. He's upbeat, he's positive. He sits in the meeting room and learns techniques, fundamentals, schemes, and he'll be better for it down the road."

Following the first day of camp, Neal Brown stated that Trotter is "well into his rehab" and reiterated that he is handling it well. The timetable for his return remains unknown, but it's likely that he'll miss a good chunk of the 2023 season.

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