One player that simply stands out is redshirt freshman Josiah Trotter.

The former four-star prospect missed all of last season after requiring surgery following an injury during spring practice but remained engaged throughout.

Trotter prepared as if he was playing every week and was actively asking questions in meetings to sharpen the mental aspects of his game.

The fact that Trotter continued to attack the game as well as his rehab is something that only helped him prepare for his return back to the field.

That has spilled over into this spring as the redshirt freshman has made a number of plays which has made quite the impression on his teammates.

“Trotter is a dawg. He has the biggest upside of anybody in the room,” redshirt sophomore linebacker Trey Lathan said. “He has a nose for the football. I don’t know if he gets it from his dad.”

It would make sense considering his father is none other than former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, a two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler during his career.

Tight end Treylan Davis singled out Trotter as one of the standouts of the spring not only for his size, but ability to diagnose things on the defensive side and attack.

“Trotter is going to be an absolute headache for offenses to deal with. He is physical, he is smart and he spends so much time on the game,” Davis said. “He loves the game, it just reeks off him.”

Not only does his size and speed at 6-foot-2, 238-pounds stand out but his commitment across all areas from the film room to the weight room.

“He plays gritty and he plays fast. His read keys are fast, he’s there and he knows what’s going on so he’s alert for such a young guy,” Davis said. “It’s impressive.”

And with Trotter now back and healthy, the Mountaineers are hoping he’s only scratching the surface as he displayed in the spring game with an interception.

“He’s a bigger body guy that we’ve had so he stands out due to his size. He has good instincts. He’s played a lot of football,” inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz said.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Several of the state’s colleges and universities will hold commencement ceremonies this weekend.

West Virginia University has nine separate ceremonies scheduled beginning Friday. All of the ceremonies will be held at the WVU Coliseum, according to WVU Director of News Communications Shauna Johnson.

“The ceremonies are spaced out, they’ll be about two and a half to three hours, depending  on which ceremony,” said Johnson. “9 o’clock Friday, you have the WVU College of Law, noon Friday is School of Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Public Health, 4 o’clock on Friday is School of Medicine, then on Saturday you do 9 (a.m.), 12:30 (p.m.) and 4 (p.m.),” she said.

The 2024 Spring Commencement ceremonies also mark the first time the ceremonies have been held in one location at WVU sine the Covid-19 pandemic which, according to Johnson, was aimed at addressing traffic woes. This will also allow for parking spaces by the Canaday Creative Arts Center to be opened that were formerly occupied by graduates who had ceremonies at that location.

“This change is designed to streamline things a little bit, because if you’ve ever seen a bunch of people try to leave the Coliseum at the same time they’re trying to get into the Creative Arts Center, it created some issues,” Johnson said. “So by bringing everybody into the Coliseum, we’re hoping to eliminate some of the traffic backups.”

There are no ticket requirements for anyone wishing to attend the commencement ceremonies, and graduates are allowed to have as many guests as they want to watch them walk the podium. The WVU Clear Bag Policy will be in place, with notifications placed outside of the Coliseum entrances.

WVU student Rachel Johnson will officially get her Master’s Degree as part of the Reed College of Media’s ceremony scheduled for Saturday. With family ties to WVU that go back generations, Johnson is ready to receive her degree and enjoy the moment.

“My parents went to WVU, so did my grandparents, I have a sister who’s actually graduating this weekend from the School of Medicine so it was pretty clear choice for me where I was going to get my first and second degrees,” she said.

Johnson will join the Monongalia County tourism firm Visit Mountaineer Country CVB as their new marketing director.

Capito to speak twice

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito will do double-duty this commencement weekend. Capito will address graduates of the WVU School of Medicine on Friday and deliver the commencement address at Bethany College in Ohio County on Saturday.

Capito said during her Thursday media briefing that her commencement addresses carry similar themes including celebrating the accomplishment but also giving back to the state.

“I’ll tell them and implore to them how much we need them, we need their young minds and energy for the future of our state,” she said.

Her speeches will also encourage communication, Capito said.

“To look up from their devices and have conversations rather than just rely on your phone, your text messages, Facebook or whatever,” Capito said.

She added she’ll throw in some words about mothers at both ceremonies because they fall on Mother’s Day weekend.

Other ceremonies this weekend

–Fairmont State University will have three ceremonies Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.

–West Virginia State University’s main ceremony is set for 10 a.m. Saturday on the campus at Institute.

–BridgeValley Community and Technical College will honor graduates at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center.

West Virginia Athletic Director Wren Baker has received a two-year contract extension.

The news was first reported by Pete Thamel of ESPN.

The extension will take Baker through December of 2030 in Morgantown after it was originally set to end in 2028.

Baker came to West Virginia from North Texas where he held the same position in December of 2022 and has helped lead the athletic program through several major hires including men’s basketball coach Darian DeVries, women’s basketball coach Mark Kellogg and volleyball head coach Jen Greeny.

The athletic director has been well received by the fan base and the administration at West Virginia clearly agrees with the news of the extension.