2021 Football Roster
Jersey Number 7
Josh Chandler-Semedo
- Position:
- Linebacker
- Height:
- 5-10
- Weight:
- 226
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Canton, Ohio
- High School:
- Canton McKinley
- Returned for an NCAA COVID eligibility year
- Has played in 44 career games, including 31 starts
- WVU’s active leader in career tackles (260)
2021 (Sr.)
- Started 13 games at mike linebacker
- All-Big 12 Third Team (Phil Steele)
- All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)
- Led the Mountaineer defense with 110 stops, including 68 solo stops, 1.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups and six quarterback hurries
- Has eight career 10-plus tackle performances, including five
- Ranked No. 36 nationally and No. 3 in the Big 12 in total tackles (8.5)
- Also ranked No. 20 nationally and No. 5 in the league in solo tackles (5.2)
- Finished campaign with six tackles against Minnesota in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl
- WVU Defensive Player of the Week: Kansas
- Massive night at Kansas included eight solo tackles, a tackle for loss, forced fumble and two interceptions
- Tallied his 100th tackle of the season against the Jayhawks
- Matched season high with 12 tackles against Texas
- Finished with three tackles at Kansas State, including a shared tackle for loss
- Registered a team-high nine tackles against Oklahoma State
- WVU Defensive Player of the Week: Iowa State
- Had another 10-plus tackle game against Iowa State, finishing with 12 on the day, including his first career sack
- Finished with 11 tackles at TCU, including one for a loss
- Also tallied his 200th career tackle against TCU
- Led team with six tackles at Baylor to go along with a pair of pass breakups
- Totaled eight tackles against Texas Tech, including his first tackle for loss of the year
- Team leader in tackles at Oklahoma, with 12
- Finished with eight tackles against Virginia Tech, including a forced fumble
- Tallied five total tackles against LIU
- Opened the season with 10 tackles at Maryland
2020 (Jr.)
- Started all nine games in which he played, missing the TCU game due to a knee injury
- Third-leading tackler for WVU with 64 tackles, including 32 solo stops, four tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a pass breakup and an interception
- Tallied a pair of 10-plus tackle performances
- Finished No. 8 in the Big 12 in tackles per game (7.1)
- Huge day against Army in the Liberty Bowl included 13 tackles (10 solo), a TFL, forced fumble and first career interception, which sealed the win for WVU
- Named WVU’s Defensive MVP at the Liberty Bowl
- Earned All-Bowl Team honors (AP, USA Today, ESPN)
- Made five tackles at Iowa State
- Totaled six tackles at Texas, featuring a shared TFL
- Had three tackles against Kansas State
- Logged a season-best 11 tackles at Texas Tech
- Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 19)
- Had nine tackles against Kansas; added a TFL and pass breakup in the win
- WVU Defensive Player of the Week: Baylor
- Finished with nine tackles against Baylor, including two for a loss
- Tallied five tackles at Oklahoma State
- Began season with three tackles against Eastern Kentucky
2019 (So.)
- All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
- Academic All-Big 12 First Team
- Played in 10 games and started nine
- Made seven starts at WLB and two at MLB
- Missed majority of Oklahoma game and Baylor and Texas with knee injury
- Second-leading tackler on the team (72), including 40 solo stops and 3.5 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and two pass breakups
- Ranks No. 7 in the Big 12 in tackles per game (7.2)
- Totaled six tackles at TCU
- Posted nine tackles, including seven solos, against Oklahoma State
- Logged eight tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss at Kansas State
- Tallied four tackles at Oklahoma
- Had five tackles against Iowa State - all solos - including a tackle for loss
- Totaled eight tackles against Texas
- Finished with eight tackles, including four solos, at Kansas, as well as his first career fumble recovery
- Special Teams Player of the Week - Kansas
- Assisted on a tackle for loss against NC State; finished the day with three tackles
- Led the team with seven tackles at Missouri
- Led WVU in tackles with 14, a career best, against James Madison
- Also tallied his first career pass breakup vs. the Dukes
2018 (Fr.)
- Played in 12 games, adding depth at WILL linebacker; used primarily on special teams
- Finished with 14 tackles for the season, including two forced fumbles and assisting on a tackle for loss; team leader on special teams with 7.5 tackles
- Registered more than 50 snaps on defense and more than 100 on special teams
High School
- Played for coach Dan Reardon at Canton McKinley High
- 2017 All-USA Today Second Team
- Named League Defensive MVP
- Registered 86 tackles as a senior, including 17 for loss, while dealing with a knee injury for much of the year that caused him to play only seven games
- Also accumulated two sacks and two fumble recoveries for the Bulldogs in 2017
- 2017 Division I All-Ohio First Team, Division I All-Northeast Inland District First Team, 2016, 2017 All-Federal League First Team
- 2017 Academic All-Ohio
- 2016 Division I All-Ohio Second Team
Personal
- Son of Meka Chandler
- One of seven children (5 brothers, 1 sister)
- Graduated in May 2021 with his bachelor’s degree in communication studies
- Working on his master’s degree in business administration
- Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll
- Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll
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