The Devy Digest, Freshman Friday’s – featuring Miami Hurricanes WR Joshisa Trader.
- Joshisa Trader
- Position: Wide Receiver
- Miami Hurricanes
- 6’0” 175 lbs
- Draft Eligible: 2027
- Devy Digest Freshman WR Rank: 4
Who is Joshisa Trader?
Joshisa Trader was a 4⭐️ in the composites who attended Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Florida and was teammates with Jeremiah Smith. Trader was a two-way player early on in his high school career and also competed in track & field. Trader held 31 offers but never wavered from his commitment to the University of Miami.
Joshisa Trader is a very fluid athlete. He’s a silky smooth route runner with loose hips that allow him to sink at the top of his stems without missing a beat. Trader has very good lateral agility and on-field vision that allows him to change direction on a dime. It makes him very good with the ball in his hands where he can create. As a route runner, Trader will put corners on skates and makes spectacular plays look ordinary. He has multiple gears of acceleration and knows how to slow play his defender. Trader tracks the ball very well and brings a very good combination of being a pure technician and an athletic wide out.
Pathway to Success
The Miami Hurricanes have Xavier Restrepo returning (who mainly occupies the slot) and Jacolby George out wide. However, they do lose Colbie Young who transferred to Georgia. It is not without possibility that Joshisa Trader could win the other boundary position.
Trader has a very good understanding of the game and is one of the better pure route runners in this recruiting class. Miami brought in another fellow True Freshman WR in Ny Carr, but I do see Trader having a clearer path at immediate playing time.
Both Ny Carr and Joshisa Trader have experience playing in the slot and out wide. If I had to project, Carr is more of a slot receiver, whereas Trader is that typical boundary receiver. By all accounts, Trader has enrolled early and will partake in Spring camp, which will be vital to secure that boundary position.
Miami was in search of a quarterback upgrade during the entire portal cycle and eventually landed Cam Ward. A new quarterback works in Trader’s favor, as all the receivers will have to earn the trust and rapport of Ward. While Restrepo led the team in receiving and occupies the slot, Cam Ward does like the deep ball. Because of that, we could see a shift of targets this upcoming season in Miami. Trader is on even footing to gain Ward’s trust, and isn’t behind the eight ball to try and build that rapport.
Areas for Improvements & Concerns
Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson is in his second year. Last year, we saw Miami play as a pretty balanced on offense. Targets were getting funneled to the three wide receivers; and while Cam Ward is a new QB with different tendencies, we should at least have an understanding that the concepts will have the wide receivers be the primary reads.
Ward does like to hold onto the ball and see if he can get a big play to happen. Oftentimes, it will get him into trouble by doing so. If there is an emphasis on Ward staying within structure and having timing and rhythm, we could see a lot of targets funneled out of the slot to Xavier Restrepo. Trader could be used as a secondary read or even tertiary should he win a starting role.
However, another concern is that we haven’t seen Miami produce a WR to the next level in some time. Miami recruits well, but they haven’t developed anything. They had Colbie Young for a couple of seasons and didn’t know how to utilize him – eventually leading him to transfer out. And, while Ward is an upgrade from what they had at QB, he isn’t exactly a cerebral quarterback in his own right. There is a legitimate concern that the University cannot pair Trader with an adequate Quarterback.
Devy & C2C Value
In Devy drafts, you can probably wait until a round after Jeremiah Smith, Micah Hudson and Ryan Williams are taken to get Joshisa Trader.
In C2C startups, I can see him being in consideration in the fourth round. It depends on the league and how aggressive managers are in targeting True Freshmen. In a C2C supplemental draft, he will likely be chosen towards the end of the first round, if not at the start of round two.
Even if Joshisa Trader doesn’t win a starting role, I see him being mixed in frequently. I can’t see Miami not using him in this NIL world where he can transfer to a rival like Florida State the very next year. Trader isn’t a raw prospect, either. He should go in and show his worth in these Spring practices early on and force the hands of the coaches with his talent. Miami is in the process of rebuilding, they can use as much influx of talent as possible, and having Trader on the bench would defeat that purpose.
NFL Outlook
I can argue that Joshisa Trader is a top 3 route runner in this class. He has every right to play from day one and garner a decent target share as a True Freshman. At his age he is already a plus route runner with the ability to sink his hips and change direction on a dime. With his multiple gears of acceleration and ball tracking ability, he brings all the intangibles that you want in a WR at the next level.
I can easily see him being a late first round pick in the NFL. He does bring some concerns with the University of Miami not being able to develop the position. However, he is the epitome of betting on talent. Everything you like is on tape, he just needs to continue his ascension. If Miami can develop him and get a quality QB, Trader could very well be the value pick of this recruiting class.
Andy Pham
Andy is the creator of the Devy Digest. His passion is devy and C2C. Andy's Devy Diguest articles provide insightful, yet thoughtful commentary to give you a leg up on the devy prospects so you know how to approach your devy and C2C drafts. With The Devy Digest podcast, Andy provides episodes of interesting and exciting topics and when he invites guests, you get to be a fly on the wall, listening in on two people having a conversation where they give you a different perspective. Come, join the journey that is Andy's Devy Digest.