Consistency could allow J.J. Weaver to reach new stratosphere in 2023

Kentucky’s defense is at its best when their weakside Jack linebacker is wreaking havoc coming off the edge. J.J. Weaver is looking to become the next dominant force in that position as a redshirt senior.

The former four-star recruit out of Louisville (Ky.) Moore has been a starter at Jack since 2021 and will be returning for year five in the program after dealing with injuries in each of the last two seasons.

Over the last two seasons, Weaver has compiled 40 pressures (9.7% pressure rate) with 11 sacks and three QB hits. The veteran has done that while playing through serious injuries. PFF gave the edge rusher a career-high pass-rush grade (70.7) in 2022 as a case can be made that Weaver has shown growth and development each season on campus.

Now Kentucky needs Weaver to take the next step.

That next step will always be compared to Josh Allen. The top-10 pick who has collected 29 sacks and 52 QB hits in four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars set the standard at Kentucky. Weaver is chasing that standard.

The chase for greatness all starts with consistency.

“The message to J.J. — he’s the one that brought it to me — is consistency. Consistency of effort, weight, strength, like everything matters. And it doesn’t just matter one week or two weeks,” Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White told the media on Thursday. “It matters every day, every practice, every weightlifting session.”

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Kentucky is ready for J.J. Weaver to take the next step. Kentucky needs J.J. Weaver to take the next step. The veteran EDGE player has flashed dominance as a run defender and has produced pass-rush production in spurts during his career. Now No. 13 needs to put everything together. White believes that a lightbulb has gone off for the veteran. To no one’s surprise, Weaver is chasing after what Josh Allen accomplished as a senior in 2018.

“It was the daily focus to be the best and to be great,” White said about Allen’s approach and what Weaver needs to do now. “That lightbulb has gone off for him. We had a moment at the end of practice — he took over. I went up to him and I said ‘that is what we’re talking about’. You have the ability to just take over a practice, a game, and that’s what guy-guys do. We need him to do that. But it stems from consistency. It can’t be I only do it in one game. You want 17 sacks in a season like Josh had? Then you have to do it every single game. Every single drive they should fear you and he knows that.”

When looking at Kentucky’s front seven in 2023, there is some real star power. Deone Walker can be a dominant force in the front that can be used in a variety of alignments. Trevin Wallace is an explosive off-ball linebacker with playmaking pop. But Weaver could have the biggest impact.

At his best, the outside linebacker can be a two-way impact player who is robust against the run and makes pass protection schemes pay for leaving him one-on-one as an edge rusher. For Kentucky to be at its best, J.J. Weaver has to be at his best.

The redshirt senior seems primed to take the next step in 2023.