For senior linebacker Lee Kpogba, a former Mountaineer standout may have helped guide the Winston-Salem native to the hills of Morgantown.
Karl Joseph, WVU’s hard-hitting safety that was selected in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, was always an influence for Kpogba on the defensive side of the ball.
“Karl Joseph definitely inspired me,” Kpogba said in Arlington at the Big 12 media day. “I was committed here (West Virginia) my sophomore in high school, simply because I liked Karl Joseph so much.”
While Kpogba ended up at Syracuse after his high school days were over, the 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker found himself back at WVU, dawning the No. 8 that Joseph wore from 2012-2015 for the Mountaineers.
In 2022, Kpogba 44 solo tackles with 3.5 sacks on the young, Mountaineer defense while wearing Joseph’s No. 8.
Heading into 2023, Kpogba will be the leader of the WVU defense after the departures of Dante Stills and Jordan Jefferson. This time, however, Kpogba will be repping No. 1, aiming to make a “new mark” in another iconic number.
“I wanted to change it up, Kpogba said. “I’m trying to make a new mark.”
West Virginia will need Kpogba to make his mark consistently throughout the year, as the Mountaineers have notably been selected to finish last in the 14-team Big 12 conference in 2023.
Kpogba shared his thoughts on the preseason rankings and spoke on how the team is handling the adversity.
“We (West Virginia) definitely see it,” Kpogba said. “It definitely gets under our skin. It’s also fuel because it drives us to prove people wrong.” Kpogba continued by saying, “Just being around the guys around that facility… I can promise we’re not finishing last in the Big 12.”
Kpogba holds a solid resume going into his final season in college, earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors in 2022 by leading West Virginia with 92 total tackles, six quarterback hurries, and a fumble recovery.
With the 2023 Mountaineers carrying a chip seemingly increasing in size by the week on their shoulders, the experience and grit of Kpogba will need to loom large on the defensive side of the ball if WVU wants to prove the naysayers wrong.
