Photo by: WVU Athletic Communications
West Virginia Spring Football Notebook
April 13, 2023 01:56 PM | Football, Blog
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Coach Neal Brown made an unscheduled visit to the media room earlier today to deliver a couple of news items regarding his West Virginia football team.
First, the veteran coach indicated that touted true freshman linebacker Josiah Trotter suffered what he termed a "lower leg injury" during last Tuesday's practice and will likely be lost for the season.
Trotter, a four-star prospect from Saint Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia, was getting valuable reps at linebacker this spring and was a contender for playing time this fall. The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder was invited to play in the 2023 All-American Bowl and turned down offers from Penn State, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Miami and others to sign with West Virginia.
Brown said Trotter is expected to have surgery later this month.
"(His return is at the) end of the year at best, so I would say he's missing the year," he said. "He's had a really rough six weeks, but he's practiced enough for us to know he's going to be a star.
"I love the kid and hate it for him, more than anything for what he's been through," Brown added.
Also, the coach confirmed Mike Casazza's report on 247 Sports earlier today that men's basketball player Jimmy Bell Jr. is now working out with the football team and will be tried at offensive tackle.
Bell's status on the squad was termed a "trial run" by Brown.
"Coach Huggins and I talked at the end of March," he said. "For two weeks, he did drills and starting on Tuesday he practiced. He practiced (today) and he will practice Saturday and through the spring game.
"When I say it's a trial run, it really is," Brown continued. "He played football in high school before he went to prep school in Arizona, so it's either been 2016 or 2017 since he's played. Obviously, he's got great length, great size and he's got the demeanor – y'all saw that in basketball – but I don't really have any expectations for him."
Bell, listed at 6-feet-10 inches and 285 pounds on the basketball roster, played 34 games for the 19-15 Mountaineers, averaging 4.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest. He scored a season-high 18 points in a home win against Buffalo and grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds in a home victory against TCU.
Bob Huggins, on several occasions, mentioned Bell's athleticism and great feet for a man his size and suggested that he could potentially be a good offensive tackle prospect.
However, offensive line is one of the strongest areas on West Virginia's football team with tackles Wyatt Milum, Brandon Yates and Ja'Quay Hubbard returning. Veteran fifth-year senior Doug Nester has also been getting practice reps at tackle as well.
Brown noted that Bell could also get a look at tight end.
"At the end of the month, he's got to make a decision if this is what he wants to do or go back and play basketball, which he definitely can," Brown said. "And then we've got to make a decision of can he help us? The way the rules work is he's got to come over on our books."
Meanwhile, West Virginia practiced this morning and players Hershey McLaurin, Jaylen Anderson and Jared Bartlett visited with media afterward.
The Mountaineers are slated to have their second closed scrimmage of the spring inside the stadium on Saturday morning and Brown will be made available to media afterward.
First, the veteran coach indicated that touted true freshman linebacker Josiah Trotter suffered what he termed a "lower leg injury" during last Tuesday's practice and will likely be lost for the season.
Trotter, a four-star prospect from Saint Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia, was getting valuable reps at linebacker this spring and was a contender for playing time this fall. The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder was invited to play in the 2023 All-American Bowl and turned down offers from Penn State, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Miami and others to sign with West Virginia.Brown said Trotter is expected to have surgery later this month.
"(His return is at the) end of the year at best, so I would say he's missing the year," he said. "He's had a really rough six weeks, but he's practiced enough for us to know he's going to be a star.
"I love the kid and hate it for him, more than anything for what he's been through," Brown added.
Also, the coach confirmed Mike Casazza's report on 247 Sports earlier today that men's basketball player Jimmy Bell Jr. is now working out with the football team and will be tried at offensive tackle.
Bell's status on the squad was termed a "trial run" by Brown.
"Coach Huggins and I talked at the end of March," he said. "For two weeks, he did drills and starting on Tuesday he practiced. He practiced (today) and he will practice Saturday and through the spring game.
"When I say it's a trial run, it really is," Brown continued. "He played football in high school before he went to prep school in Arizona, so it's either been 2016 or 2017 since he's played. Obviously, he's got great length, great size and he's got the demeanor – y'all saw that in basketball – but I don't really have any expectations for him."
Bell, listed at 6-feet-10 inches and 285 pounds on the basketball roster, played 34 games for the 19-15 Mountaineers, averaging 4.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest. He scored a season-high 18 points in a home win against Buffalo and grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds in a home victory against TCU.Bob Huggins, on several occasions, mentioned Bell's athleticism and great feet for a man his size and suggested that he could potentially be a good offensive tackle prospect.
However, offensive line is one of the strongest areas on West Virginia's football team with tackles Wyatt Milum, Brandon Yates and Ja'Quay Hubbard returning. Veteran fifth-year senior Doug Nester has also been getting practice reps at tackle as well.
Brown noted that Bell could also get a look at tight end.
"At the end of the month, he's got to make a decision if this is what he wants to do or go back and play basketball, which he definitely can," Brown said. "And then we've got to make a decision of can he help us? The way the rules work is he's got to come over on our books."
Meanwhile, West Virginia practiced this morning and players Hershey McLaurin, Jaylen Anderson and Jared Bartlett visited with media afterward.
The Mountaineers are slated to have their second closed scrimmage of the spring inside the stadium on Saturday morning and Brown will be made available to media afterward.
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