Kentucky has "good combination" with J.J. Weaver, Jordan Wright

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Since Brad White joined the Kentucky coaching staff in 2018, we’ve seen outside linebackers feast in this defensive scheme. Josh Allen emerged as the best defensive player in college football, and Boogie Watson collected 21.5 tackles for loss over his last two seasons in Lexington.

Both J.J. Weaver and Jordan Wright have flashed with moments of greatness during their time in Lexington. Each was expected to play a big role on the defense in 2021. However, injuries got in the way.

Due to an ACL injury to Weaver in November 2020, Kentucky had to make a contingency plan in 2021 in case the Louisville (Ky.) Moore product was unable to go last fall. The defense switched to a 3-3-5 base look that included just one EDGE player. Add in a lower-body injury to Wright that caused him to miss four games, and you had a defense that didn’t have that playmaking power at outside linebacker for chunks of the season.

Both players are back in 2022 and fully healthy. The two veterans are pushing each other in practice, and each could be headed towards a breakout season.

“His consistency is at a different level than it’s been,” White told the media on Wednesday when asked about Weaver. “He draws a lot from Jordan Wright. Jordan has been consistent every single period. Those two compete, they battle, they pull each other. They’re a really good combination for us.”

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Multiple members of the Kentucky football program have talked up both outside linebackers this season. The duo brings a ton of combined returning havoc production to the defense: 32 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, 16 pass breakups, 5 forced fumbles, and 3 interceptions. Kentucky is hopeful that playmaking will return this fall.

As the defensive line continues to make some more positive strides, the EDGE players will be freed up to make more plays. That havoc production could allow the Cats to go from solid to very good on defense. Their performance in fall camp has shown that the duo is healthy and ready to make some noise in the SEC.

“The two outside backers…it is day in and day out a battle with those guys,” offensive line coach Zach Yenser said about J.J. Weaver and Jordan Wright. “They do a phenomenal job.”