Joe Reed was born and raised in the small town of Charlotte Court House, Virginia where he starred for Randolph-Henry High School as a receiver, running back, and safety. Coming out of school, Reed was rated a three-star prospect by ESPN and Rivals.com and committed to play his college ball at in-state Virginia.
During his freshman season, Reed played mainly on special teams where he returned 27 kicks for 678 yards. As a receiver, he caught just four passes for 77 yards.
As a sophomore in 2017, he was used as an offensive utility weapon when he caught 23 passes for 244 yards and a pair of touchdowns while also rushing 21 times for 112 yards and another score.