JJ Weaver may or may not be back at UK but at least he finally gets to play in a bowl game

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JJ Weaver would like to celebrate a Music City Bowl win today. (Vicky Graff Photo)

Will today’s Music City Bowl in Nashville be linebacker JJ Weaver’s last game at Kentucky?

He went through UK’s Senior Day before the Cats beat Louisville in November and has been at Kentucky for four years. He said before the Louisville game he had not decided if he would put his name into the NFL Draft or not and would talk with UK coaches and his mom about his decision.

Mock drafts currently do not project Weaver as a pick in the 2023 NFL draft and he’s not indicated again if he will stay at UK or not. If he does stay, it would be a huge boost to UK’s defense.

Weaver has three bowl rings but has yet to play in a bowl game. Today’s matchup with Iowa will be his first bowl appearance.

“I’ve been hurt, I got COVID, so I’ve been excited ever since I got here,” Weaver said after UK’s practice Thursday in Nashville. “Last night at the team event, we seen Iowa for the first time.

“It was just a good environment, everybody was rowdy. I think everybody’s ready after last night.”

Weaver was redshirted in 2019 when UK beat Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl. He missed the 2020 Gator Bowl after he tore his ACL during the season and last year he tested positive for COVID-19 before the Citrus Bowl.

This season he has 44 tackles, six tackles for loss, three quarterback sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass deflection in 10 games — he missed two games with an elbow injury.

“I’m one hundred percent,” Weaver said. “Because of my elbow, I took two weeks off and ever since then I’ve been perfect.”

Whether he comes back to UK or not, this game will be bittersweet for Weaver because UK’s other outside linebacker, Jordan Wright, will be out of eligibility after this game. They have been friends since childhood when both lived in Florida before Weaver moved to Louisville.

“That relationship’s so crazy. I’m gonna miss that boy,” Weaver said.

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