2023 Football Roster
Jersey Number 1
Lee Kpogba
- Position:
- Linebacker
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 234
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Winston-Salem, N.C.
- High School:
- Parkland
- Prev School:
- Syracuse / East Mississippi CC
- Started all 25 games at linebacker for WVU
- Has played in 56 career games, including 22 at Syracuse and 25 at WVU
- Has started all 25 career games for the Mountaineers
- Has seven 10-plus tackle games in his career
2023 (Sr.)
- All-Big 12 Conference Third Team (Phil Steele)
- Led the Mountaineers with 97 tackles, including 47 solo tackles, three sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and eight quarterback hurries
- Led the WVU defense in tackles six times during season
- Big performance in the Duke's Mayo Bowl against UNC included 12 tackles and a TFL
- Finished with four stops at Baylor
- Posted 10 tackles and a sack against Cincinnati
- Assisted four stops at Oklahoma
- Led the defense with eight tackles against BYU; also added 1.5 TFLs against the Cougars
- Tallied eight stops, a sack and a key fumble at the end of the third quarter at UCF
- Added five stops and assisted a TFL against Oklahoma State
- Finished with six tackles at Houston
- WVU Defensive Champion (TCU)
- Paced the defense with 11 tackles, including eight solo stops at TCU; also added his first sack and pass breakup of the season
- Posted seven tackles for the second straight game against Texas Tech
- Tallied seven tackles in the Pitt game, including three solos
- Added a pair of solo tackles against Duquesne
- Led the defense with 13 tackles - including seven solos - in the season opener at Penn State
- Also added 1.5 TFLs at PSU
2022 (Jr.)
- 2022 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
- Started all 12 games in his first season at WVU
- Ranked No. 8 in the Big 12 in total tackles (7.7)
- Had three 10-plus tackle games in 2022
- Led the team with 92 tackles, including 44 solo stops, 3.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery
- WVU Defensive Champion: Oklahoma State
- Registered 13 tackles for the second consecutive game at Oklahoma State, including 2.0 tackles for loss (1.5 sacks)
- Tallied 13 tackles (seven solos) against Kansas State
- Finished with eight tackles against Oklahoma
- Made four stops at Iowa State
- Led the team with seven tackles against TCU
- Posted nine tackles and assisted on a tackle for loss at Texas Tech
- Registered seven tackles, including six solo stops and a sack against Baylor
- Finished with seven tackles, including his first career sack at Texas
- Led the team with six tackles, including his first career tackle for loss at Virginia Tech
- Tallied a six-tackle effort against Kansas
- Made his Mountaineer debut and started at Pitt
- Led the team with a career-high 10 tackles and a fumble recovery against the Panthers
2021 (So.) - East Mississippi CC
- Played linebacker for coach Buddy Stephens at East Mississippi CC in Scooba, Mississippi
- 2021 NJCAA All-Region 23
- All-Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference First Team
- All-MJCCC North Division First Team
- Helped the Lions finish 9-1 overall and No. 7 ranking in the nation
- EMCC led NJCAA Division I teams in scoring defense (12.8 ppg) and No. 4 in total defense (230.5 yds/gm) as well as having limited seven of 10 opponents to single-digit scoring totals in 2021
- Led the Lions with 84 tackles, including 34 solo tackles, two sacks, 5½ tackles for loss, an interception, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup
- Had 10 or more tackles in three games and seven or more tackles in eight games
- Recorded a season-high 13 tackles and assisted on a tackle for loss against Northwest Mississippi CC
- Had 12 tackles, including two tackles for loss against Northeast Mississippi CC
2020 (COVID) - Syracuse
- Played linebacker for coach Dino Babers at Syracuse
- Appeared in 11 games as a backup linebacker
- Finished with 43 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack
- Had a career-high eight tackles at Notre Dame
- Made six tackles against Boston College
- Had four tackles and a tackle for loss vs. Wake Forest
- Posted six tackles and his first collegiate sack against Liberty
- Made five tackles against Georgia Tech
- Had three tackles in the season opener against North Carolina
2019 (Fr.) – Syracuse
- Played in 11 games
- Saw time as a member of the kickoff return, kickoff coverage and punt return teams
- Logged his first collegiate tackle against Western Michigan on kickoff coverage
- Made his collegiate debut on special teams against Liberty
High School
- Two-way starter at outside linebacker and running back for coach Martin Samek at Parkland High
- 2018 North Carolina Defensive Player of the Year
- 2018 American Family Insurance All-USA North Carolina First Team honoree
- PrepStar All-Atlantic Region performer
- Selected to play in the 2018 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, an all-star game between the top senior football players from North Carolina and South Carolina
- As a senior captain, he recorded 89 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 16 sacks and four forced fumbles to help Parkland to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the NCHSAA Class 3-AA playoffs
- Also rushed for more than 600 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior for the Mustangs
- As a junior in 2017, he earned Central Piedmont 4-A All-Conference honors and was selected to the North Carolina Preps 3-A All-State team
- Tallied 86 tackles and 21 sacks as a sophomore
- Parkland team MVP
- Four-star rating by Rivals and three-star by 247Sports
- ESPNJC Top 50
- Rated as the No. 2 junior college linebacker recruit nationally and No. 7 prospect in North Carolina by 247Sports
- Native of Ghana, West Africa
Personal
- Son of Samuel and Irene Kpogba
- One of two children (1 sister)
- Graduated with his bachelor’s degree in integrated studies in May 2023
- Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll
- Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll
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