West Virginia sophomore linebacker Josh Chandler may be unknown to opposing offenses now but there’s a good chance that’ll change later this season.

The Canton, Ohio native has made a name for himself this offseason thanks to his hard work and dedication which have led to him more than likely taking over the WILL linebacker slot on first-year defensive coordinator Vic Koenning’s defense.

This position became vacant after last year’s Big 12 Defensive Player of Year David Long (Tennessee Titans) declared for the NFL Draft.

“He’s probably of all the guys on the team, and it’s not quite to his nature yet, but he’s going to be a guy they probably need to find,” Koenning said. “I would say by the middle of the year they’re going to try to find out where he’s at.”

It’s a bold statement by Koenning but it speaks volumes to how Chandler has grown and progressed over the course of the offseason dating back to the winter and spring.

Chandler was one of four West Virginia players who earned the Iron Mountaineer Award at the conclusion of the spring period. The award is given out to the most outstanding performers in the program’s offseason strength and conditioning program.

The sophomore’s development and praise he has received from his teammates and coaches this offseason can be credited to Chandler not only doing what he’s coached to do but also going the extra mile when it comes to off the field work and preparation.

“He comes to work every day,” outside linebackers coach Al Pogue said. “He takes coaching really well. I can see that he’s a weight room guy, he takes notes in meetings, he asks good questions. I think he’s really committed to what we’re trying to do. So when you put in the work and the effort like he’s doing, you know he’s poised to make it a big season.”

Chandler’s dedication and desire to improve each day can be summed up in instances as described by Pogue where members of the team, searching for Chandler before they were supposed to eat a meal together, would find him sitting in the ice tub and reading the playbook.

“He’s serious about taking care of his body, the mental preparation of it and just getting to maximize the most of his time over here,” Pogue said. “So I think it’s going to pay big for him.”

Under the West Virginia’s new coaching staff led by head coach Neal Brown, Koenning’s defense utilizes the WILL linebacker as a bigger safety type, one that will have to drop in coverage but also play in the box to stop the run.

“The WILL now is like a combination of our WILL (linebacker) in a 3-3-5 and our BANDIT safety in a 3-3-5,” Chandler said. “It’s kind of like an overhang but sometimes I gotta cover deep, cover flat, be in the box and everything.”

Coming into fall camp, Chandler’s goals were to continue to learn and feel more comfortable with the new defensive scheme, become more of a vocal leader and ultimately become the best player he could be.

A sophomore stepping up and taking on a leadership role doesn’t happen very often but Chandler has done just that by making corrections on checks defensively during practices and holding his teammates accountable, according to Pogue.

“I feel very comfortable with the defense we’ve been working and I think we’re going to be really good this fall,” Chandler said. “I’ve been trying to work on my leadership skills more. (My) teammates have been proud of me to be in more of a leadership role.”

If he keeps this up, Chandler will be well on his way to having a significant impact for the Mountaineers this season and causing opposing offenses to keep an eye on him.

“He’s very confident now,” Pogue said. “He’s definitely emerging as a big time leader for us.”

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