Josiah Trotter
| No. 45 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 15, 2005 Hainesport Township, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 237 lb (108 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| College |
|
| NFL draft | 2026: 2nd round, 46th overall pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Josiah Trotter (born April 15, 2005)[1] is an American professional football linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Missouri Tigers and was selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Early life
Trotter attended St. Joseph's Preparatory School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was a standout in football. He earned an invite to the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.[2] Trotter was rated as a four-star recruit and held offers from schools such as Clemson, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia.[3][4] Ultimately, Trotter committed to play college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers.[5]
College career
West Virginia
Trotter took a redshirt in 2023 due to a knee injury.[5] In week 6 of the 2024 season, he recorded his first career interception off of quarterback Alan Bowman in a win over Oklahoma State.[6] In week eight, Trotter notched four tackles in a win over Arizona.[7] He appeared in 12 games in 2024, notching 92 tackles with four being for a loss, half a sack, three pass deflections, and an interception.[8] Trotter was named a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, as well as being named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year.[9][10] After the season, Trotter entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.[8]
Missouri
On December 16, 2024, Trotter announced that he would transfer to Missouri.[11]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | Bench press | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+7⁄8 in (1.88 m) | 237 lb (108 kg) | 32+1⁄4 in (0.82 m) | 10+1⁄4 in (0.26 m) | 6 ft 5+3⁄8 in (1.97 m) | 27 reps | |||||||
| All values from NFL Combine[12][13] | ||||||||||||
Trotter was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round as the 46th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.[14]
Personal life
Trotter is the son of former NFL linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, and is the brother of current NFL linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr.[15]
References
- ↑ Scott, Jelani (April 15, 2022). "Josiah Trotter, Son of Former All-Pro Jeremiah Trotter, Commits to West Virginia". West Virginia Mountaineers on SI. SI.com. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
- ↑ Carey, Greg (August 9, 2024). "Trotter looks to bolster defense after being denied chance to make instant impact a season ago". WV Metro News. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ Callihan, Schuyler (August 10, 2024). "Josiah Trotter Explains Why He Turned Down Several Perennial Powers for WVU". West Virginia Mountaineers on SI. SI.com. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ Brocato, Joe (April 15, 2022). "Four-star LB Josiah Trotter commits to WVU". WV Metro News. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- 1 2 Hertzel, Bob. "Josiah Trotter Ready To Assert Himself On The Field For WVU". The Intelligencer. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ Callihan, Schuyler (October 5, 2024). "Josiah Trotter Hauls in Sweet Toe-Tap Interception Along Sideline". West Virginia Mountaineers on SI. SI.com. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ Cohen, Bryce (October 31, 2024). "Josiah Trotter leads Mountaineer defense backed by family lineage of professional linebackers". The Daily Athenaeum. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- 1 2 Callihan, Schuyler (December 4, 2024). "WVU's First Big Loss: LB Josiah Trotter to Enter the Transfer Portal". West Virginia Mountaineers on SI. SI.com. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ Hall, Christopher (November 6, 2024). "Trotter Named a Semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award". West Virginia Mountaineers on SI. SI.com. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ Shoemaker, Wesley (December 5, 2024). "Wyatt Milum, TJ Jackson, Josiah Trotter, earn Big 12 yearly awards". WVSports.com. Rivals.com. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ Connolly, Matt (December 16, 2024). "West Virginia linebacker transfer Josiah Trotter commits to Missouri". On3.com. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
- ↑ "Josiah Trotter Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Josiah Trotter College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ Smith, Scott (April 25, 2026). "Bucs Draft Mizzou LB Josiah Trotter in Round Two, Add More Physicality to Defense". Buccaneers.com.
- ↑ Hertzler, Bob (April 20, 2024). "Brother On His Way To NFL, Trotter Hopes To Make Own Legacy At WVU". The Intelligencer. Retrieved December 7, 2024.