Ramon Jefferson building confidence after missing season with torn ACL

It’s not often a college football player is granted a seventh year of eligibility. But when you suffer a torn ACL on your second carry as a Kentucky Wildcat like Ramon Jefferson did in 2022, it happens.

Jefferson started his career with a redshirt season in 2017 before leading Maine to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs in 2018. After a pit stop with Garden City CC in 2019, he spent two more seasons at Sam Houston State from 2020-21. Then he planned to wrap up his career in Lexington in 2022 before the injury.

Now after racking up 3,948 total rushing yards and 41 touchdowns across six seasons (four active), he gets one final shot at the collegiate level.

Growing confidence

Mark Stoops knows there is pressure on Jefferson to perform in a talented backfield that includes the likes of Ray Davis, JuTahn McClain, Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, La’Vell Wright and Jamarion Wilcox. When you’re coming off a major injury and surgery with just one year of eligibility remaining, you can’t get left behind. Now or never to leave his mark on the field in Lexington.

“I actually was talking to Ramon today just briefly on the field,” Stoops said following Kentucky’s open practice on Saturday. “I told him to just keep on going because I could see the confidence in him.”

The head coach experienced knee injuries throughout his playing career, has seen countless other players go through it as a coach. There’s a comfort that can only come with time — nothing else. You just have to trust your body to do what it’s supposed to do, heal the way it was surgically designed to heal and produce again.

“I’ve been through knee injuries before. I understand when he’s coming back from it, you just see him getting more comfortable each and every day,” Stoops added. “With that, he gets more confidence. You start seeing him getting back to being fluid and running.”

Plenty of time for Jefferson to get there

He’s inching back to full strength, but he’s not there yet. And his confidence is the same way: growing, but not perfect. Luckily for Jefferson and the Kentucky football program, there are 26 days until kickoff. 26 days to heal and build confidence before the team’s season-opener vs. Ball State on September 2.

“I can tell that he’s feeling better,” the Kentucky head coach said. “We’ve got to just be smart and cautious, get him better and get him through it. We do have a month and it’s a long season so I’d like to see him back at full strength.”