Kentucky Football Countdown No. 13: JJ Weaver

ZGeogheganKSR

Today’s KSR Kentucky Football Countdown takes us within the two-week marker of the season-opener against Miami (OH). And while there are a few different No. 13 options we could choose from, it’s only appropriate we go with the one currently on the team.

About JJ Weaver

Outside linebacker JJ Weaver is going to be the heart of the Kentucky defense this season. The Moore Traditional School graduate came to Lexington as a highly-rated four-star prospect expected to make plenty of noise as part of the Wildcats’ defense. So far, the redshirt junior lived up to the hype. But not many have had to overcome the adversity Weaver has faced in life — or had to deal with having six fingers on one hand.

Weaver was a menace rushing opposing quarterbacks a year ago. He led the ‘Cats with 6.0 sacks to go along with 10.0 tackles per loss (34 total tackles), four quarterback hurries, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and one pass breakup. Weaver appeared in 12 games in 2021 — starting six of them — after sitting out the final two games of the 2020 season due to a torn ACL. He did not play in the Citrus Bowl win due to COVID-19 protocols.

Despite suffering that serious knee injury in late November 2020, Weaver rehabilitated in impressive time, returning to the field at the beginning of the 2021 season just 10 months after sustaining the injury. As a result, he was named one of three winners for the 2021 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year award.

Aside from his untimely injury last November, Weaver also dealt with the loss of two people who were very close to him. In 2020, his father was killed during a home invasion not long before his high school coach succumbed to liver cancer.

As Kentucky’s relevance has grown to the national level, Weaver has been in the spotlight more than typical Wildcats over the years. He was featured on ESPN’s College Gameday a year ago for UK’s matchup against Georgia, where they focused on how Weaver dealt with the bullying that came along with having an extra finger.

Just this week, UK Athletics posted a “Mic’d Up” video of Weaver during a fall practice session, but the highlight of the clip was at the very end with him talking to a young Kentucky, who shares a similarly rare hand condition.