'He's a dog': Mizzou LB Josiah Trotter garnering rave reviews from teammates

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Former West Virginia linebacker Josiah Trotter -- son of former NFL All-Pro linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and brother of current Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. -- committed to Mizzou out of the transfer portal Dec. 16. He was named a freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America.

Compared to Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter, defensive back Daylan Carnell is two years older and has 32 more collegiate appearances under his belt.

But the graduate student has already felt a veteran presence from Trotter, even with the redshirt sophomore having been at Mizzou for less than eight months.

"When he's on the field, I don't know why, I just feel much better," Carnell told the Missourian on Sunday. "I just feel more confident in what I'm doing for some reason."

Trotter, who's expected to start at middle linebacker in the fall, will be among the youngest starters on either side of the ball for MU. He's entering Year 1 in Columbia after transferring from West Virginia in December.

Although Trotter plays a position that requires him to be vocal -- middle linebackers act as the quarterback of a defense -- establishing himself as a respected voice might have naturally taken him longer than someone like Carnell, who's been a full-time starter since the 2022 season.

But even with fall camp still in its early stages, Trotter has already become a cornerstone of MU's defense.

"When he's on the field, everybody listens to him," Carnell said. "His energy is contagious."

Trotter is used to turning heads in college. As a true freshman in 2023, Trotter was primed for immediate playing time at WVU. In the spring, however, he suffered a lower leg injury that cost him the entire season. The following spring in 2024, Trotter continued generating excitement, and he turned the potential into production that fall. He finished second on the team in total tackles with 92 and earned a handful of honors at the end of the season, including Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.

Over the course of just two years and change, Trotter has let both his voice and his production do the talking. In a short amount of time at Mizzou, Trotter is doing exactly that.

"From the first day, not only trying to be vocal, but leading by action," Trotter said on what it'll take to become a valuable voice early on.

Carnell is far from the only one who's taken note of Trotter's immediate impact.

"Josiah is showing that he belongs in the SEC," fellow linebacker Khalil Jacobs said.

Speaking of the SEC, the conference will likely produce a handful of the nation's top linebacker rooms. LSU has a pair of All-America candidates in Harold Perkins Jr. and Whit Weeks, while Texas' Anthony Hill Jr. is a projected top-10 pick in next year's NFL Draft.

Mizzou's linebackers aren't as nationally lauded, but it's "as deep of a position that I think we can have," coach Eli Drinkwitz said. That includes a fellow youngster in sophomore Nicholas Rodriguez, who Drinkwitz said "probably had the best spring of anybody on the defensive side of the ball" earlier this year. Similarly to the edge group, quality depth could bode well for Mizzou's linebacker room this fall.

"These guys got to know they can go play as hard as they possibly can for as long as they possibly can, knowing that when they come out, the next guy coming in is just as good as they are," Drinkwitz said.

It's also a group that, along with Jacobs, will have veteran leadership. Triston Newson, who started at outside linebacker in 2024 and was named to the Butkus Award watch list earlier this week, returns for his sixth season of college football. But the most productive linebacker of the bunch could be Trotter, who only has one full season to his name. The lack of experience compared to others on MU's defense hasn't seemed to matter.

"We don't really see age on the field," Carnell said. "If you're on the field, we're expecting you to be held to a certain standard."

So far, Trotter has set a high standard. In recent years, players and coaches have echoed a desire for the Tiger defense to be fast and physical. In his short stint at West Virginia, he was just that, and the traits certainly traveled from Morgantown to Columbia.

Just like his dad, Jeremiah Sr., Josiah is a thumping run-stopper who flashes high-level coverage skills, too. He also possesses a high football IQ, a trait held by both Jeremiah Sr. and Jeremiah Jr., who's entering his second season with the Philadelphia Eagles.

But for now, Josiah is trying to write his own story, and the first pages of the Mizzou chapter have already been filled with words of praise.

"He's a dog," defensive tackle Marquis Gracial said. "I'm really excited to see him this fall."