Kentucky outside linebacker J.J. Weaver returning to college for 2024 season
J.J. Weaver’s MVP performance for Kentucky football in its Governor’s Cup upset of Louisville will not be his last game as a Wildcat.
Weaver announced Thursday he plans to return to UK for the 2024 season despite playing this season under the assumption he would be entering the NFL draft. Weaver will use the extra year of eligibility all players were granted in the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic for a sixth season at Kentucky.
After an offseason of hype about Weaver finally putting a series of significant injuries behind him to blossom into a top NFL draft prospect, Weaver totaled just 5 1/2 tackles for loss and four sacks in the first 11 games this season, essentially the same statistics he recorded year ago.
Weaver saved his best performance for last with eight tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries against a top-10 Louisville team playing in his hometown. The former Moore High School star was named the Howard Schnellenberger Award winner as the rivalry game’s MVP after UK’s 38-31 victory.
That performance came after UK coach Mark Stoops and advisor Jason Cummins met with Weaver to address Weaver’s tweet saying he felt like he was letting his late father down with his 2023 performance.
In the aftermath of his father’s murder, Weaver became an advocate for athletes’ mental health issues, helping set up a grief support group for his teammates. Stoops wanted to make sure Weaver had that same support he had provided others.
“I think he felt stress and pressure from numbers and producing, just different things,” Stoops said. “I said, ‘Absolutely not. You will not walk around with your head down or anything else.’ He’s done an awful lot. We’re all proud of him, regardless of whatever happens on the field.
“The things he’s done off the field, he’s been a great person, a great player and great ambassador to our program. I told him to walk around with his head held high and finish strong. And he did. So, very proud of him.”
Weaver was considered Kentucky’s best 2024 NFL draft prospect entering the season, but it is unclear how the 2023 inconsistency would have affected his draft stock.
The outside linebacker spent much of the offseason adding muscle to his frame, starting the year at 6-foot-5, 244 pounds. That added weight may have helped him through a full season without injury, but it did not translate to more pass rushing production.
Weaver’s 2020 season ended early due to a torn ACL. He returned in time to play in the 2021 opener, but was still limited by his return from that injury for most of the year. Just as Weaver was believed to have returned to 100%, he suffered an elbow injury early in the 2022 season that cost him two games and forced him to play the rest of the year at less than full health.
Had Weaver departed for the NFL as initially expected, UK would probably have needed to add an edge rusher from the transfer portal. With Weaver back, the second level of UK’s defense looks set with Weaver, D’Eryk Jackson and Georgia transfer Jamon Dumas-Johnson. Depth is still a concern, so Kentucky needs several younger outside linebackers, led by Tyreese Fearbry and Noah Matthews to emerge as pass rushing options. UK signed multiple edge rushers in its 2024 high school class, led by Corbin star Jacob Smith.
Next game
Kentucky vs. No. 22 Clemson
What: TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
When: Dec. 29 at noon
Where: EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida
TV: ESPN
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Series: Kentucky leads 8-5
Last meeting: Clemson won 21-13 on Dec. 27, 2009, in the Music City Bowl at Nashville, Tennessee
This story was originally published December 21, 2023 at 6:33 PM.