JJ Weaver makes 2022 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List

Kickoff at Kroger Field might still be over 100 days out, but watch list season appears to already be upon us.

Last week, it was announced by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation that Kentucky Football outside linebacker JJ Weaver was tabbed to the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List. The award is handed out annually to the defensive player who creates the biggest impact for their team both on and off the field. Weaver, a 6-foot-5 rising redshirt junior out of Louisville, KY, was a Third Team All-SEC (Phil Steele) player as a sophomore in 2021 for the ‘Cats.

Weaver is one of 42 college players announced as watch list candidates.

OLB J.J. Weaver is on the the Lott Impact Trophy Watch List!

The Lott Trophy annually goes to the Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year, a player who has had the biggest impact on his team both on and off the field. pic.twitter.com/3XprToIXaI

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) May 24, 2022

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 a serious knee injury in late November 2020, Weaver was 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.

THE 2022 LOTT IMPACT TROPHY WATCH LIST:

KRIS ABRAMS-DRAINE, DB, Missouri, Jr.
NICK ANDERSEN, S, Wake Forest
WILL ANDERSON Jr., LB, Alabama
FELIX ANUDIKE-UZOMAH, DE, Kansas State
JEREMY BANKS, LB, Tennessee
JORDAN BATTLE, DB, Alabama
KYON BARRS, DL, Arizona
JD BERTRAND, LB, Notre Dame
BRYAN BRESEE, DT, Clemson
TROY BROWN, LB. Ole Miss
BEN BYWATER, LB, BYU
JACK CAMPBELL, LB, Iowa
ANDRE CARTER II, DE, Army
JALEN CARTER, DT, Georgia
LEVANI DAMUNI, LB, Stanford
NICK FIGUEROA, DL, USC
TONY GRIMES, CB, North Carolina
DERICK HALL, DL, Auburn
ZACH HARRISON, DE, Ohio State
XAVIER HENDERSON, S, Michigan State
NICK HERBIG, LB, Wisconsin
SHAKA HEYWARD, LB, Duke
RONNIE HICKMAN, S, Ohio State
NICK JACKSON, LB, Virginia
ANTONIO JOHNSON, CB, Texas A&M
BRANDON JOSEPH, S, Notre Dame
CALIJAH KANCEY, DL, Pitt
KEY LAWRENCE, S-CB, Oklahoma
WILL McDONALD IV, DE, Iowa State
AKHEEM MESIDOR, DL, Miami
RILEY MOSS, DB, Iowa
BJ OJULARI, DE, LSU
JOEY PORTER Jr., CB, Penn State
LUKE REIMER, LB, Nebraska
KELEE RINGO, CB, Georgia
DANIEL SCOTT, S, Cal
NOAH SEWELL, LB, Oregon
TRENTON SIMPSON, LB, Clemson
HENRY TO’OTO’O, LB, Alabama
RASHAD TORRENCE II, CB, Florida
ZION TUPUOLA-FETUI, DE, Washington
J.J. WEAVER, LB, Kentucky