Of the five freshmen who enrolled early this spring at WVU, there may be only one player who will see the field this season. That’s safety Karl Joseph.
Joseph, who is from Edgewater High School in Orlando, Florida, has been moving up the depth chart during spring ball.
Joseph has worked his way into the second-string bandit safety position behind redshirt-junior Darwin Cook. The athletic safety has made a solid impression on the coaching staff with his work ethic and overall knowledge of the game.
“Of all of the new guys coming in, he’s got something to him,” said WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen. “You can pencil him in to playing a good bit.”
((Below in an interview Karl Joseph))
The 5-foot-10 freshman says he came in ready to learn.
“Just being able to be coachable — that’s the most important thing,” said Joseph. “I watch a lot of film, especially by myself. I understand what my mistakes are and I try to get better at it everyday.
“I knew I would have to come in and show my skills,” continued Joseph. “I compete and I work hard. They (coaching staff) really like that.”
Player enroll early to get ahead on school work and get a jump on the college game. Even though Joseph hasn’t played a down yet, he feels this early start will benefit him when the season begins.
“That was the best decision I could have made,” said Joseph. “It got me a head start on everything as far as academics and being able to jump right in, especially in spring ball.
“I came in here with a goal and my goal was to get on the field,” continued Joseph.
And Joseph may reach his goal.
Holgorsen singled him out among the other true freshmen following the team’s first scrimmage. He says Joseph has all of the tools he needs to play early.
“He’s not scared — he’s mature [and] he’s physical,” said Holgorsen. “Sometimes it takes guys a couple of years before they’re physically ready to play or mentally ready to play. It was an easy adjustment for him.
“I’m not saying he doesn’t make mistakes or miss tackles or anything like that because he does,” continued Holgorsen. “But from a demeanor standpoint and the effort, the maturity and the physical capabilities of being able to handle it, he’s going to be fine.”
And Joseph knows if he continues down the path he’s heading, he’ll be fine.
“My expectation was to come in and get on the field and I think I’m doing that,” said Joseph. “I just have to get better at the little things.”