BREAKOUT... JOJO TRADER

Talent acquisition and player development are keys to sustainable success in college football.

Each recruit coming out of high school has a unique timeline before they contribute to the team’s success. Some arrive ready to contribute and impact the team. Others require more time to refine their skills and get some college experience under their belt.Ther must wait their turn.

For all, the question is “when do they break out?”

This series examines Miami players with the potential to contribute to the team’s success and to what level. Our candidates come from the 2025 roster.

In 2024, Miami had the nation’s best offense. With Cam Ward and all his receivers gone, Miami must replace that production with young but relatively inexperienced receivers.

Our next breakout candidate is...

WR Joshisa “JoJo” Trader

Year: Soph. HT: 6’-1” WT: 180

Skills: Athletic and dynamic receiver and playmaker.

Experience: backup role in 2024

Floor: starting wide receiver

Ceiling: multi-year starter; All-Conference, NFL

Competition: CJ Daniels, Joshua Moore Ray Ray Joseph, Ny Carr, Chance Robinson, Malachi Toney   Daylyn Upshaw

Projected Breakout: 2025

Joshisa “JoJo” Trader arrived at Miami in the 2024 recruiting class from Hollywood, FL (Chaminade-Madonna) as an high 4-star prospect rated 98, ranked as the #9 WR and #42 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite.

As a true freshman In 2024, JoJo acclimated to college life and worked to adjust to the speed of college football while polishing his sill set. By the end of the season, he was getting snaps and gaining game experience. His performance in the PopTarts Bowl gave us a peak at his future potential. In 2024, JoJo took 99 snaps, catching six passes for 91 yards and one touchdown. That touchdown went for 40-yards caught deep over the middle.

Here is 247Sports’ director of scouting Andrew Ivins’

evaluation of Trader coming out of high school.

"A big play waiting to happen. One of the best we have seen in recent years at tracking the football and making acrobatic grabs as he will lay out to move the chains or levitate over defenders for six points. Won a state title as a sophomore at Miami Central before adding another ring to the jewelry case as a junior at Chaminade-Madonna Prep. Not the biggest of skill players, but has started to add some mass in the upper half and tends to play much bigger than the numbers suggest. Tempo-based route runner that likes to mix gears to shake defenders out on the perimeter. Ability to make high-level catches look relatively easy is certainly rare, but so is his burst and vision in the open field as a ball carrier. Looking more and more like an offensive weapon at the next level, but has also gotten snaps on the defensive side of the ball throughout prep career and has shown on the 7-on-7 circuit that he can shut down one side of the field, at least in that type of setting. Should be viewed as a potential gamebreaker for a Power Five program. Likely to find the most success as “Z” or a slot in a pro-style attack that wants to challenge the deeper third, but the idea of him settling in as a safety or cornerback is certainly intriguing given his ball skills. NFL upside."

BOTTOM LINE:

JoJo Trader is young but has elite skills and is ready to compete for a starting role in 2025.

GO CANES!