Underdog no more: Louisville defensive end J.J. Weaver is blowing up

When Cats Illustrated caught up with Louisville (Ky.) Moore defensive end JJ Weaver this weekend, it was clear that the three-star prospect is still just starting to take everything in.

He's humble, appreciative of every offer and every bit of attention coming his way, and even called himself an "underdog" in this recruiting process.

After recent events, he's probably not an underdog anymore.

Go premium at Cats Illustrated for unmatched coverage of Kentucky football recruiting

Weaver's last two offers are from Georgia and Miami, and both of those hold significant appeal for him.

Weaver is a native of South Florida, and actually lived in the Miami area until 2014. So while he's a resident of the Commonwealth now, his ties to Kentucky aren't nearly as strong as those of the state's other top prospects.

Weaver is in Louisville with his mother, his stepfather and his two brothers. Almost all of their other close acquaintances and long-term friendships are with people still in South Florida. During extended breaks from school, Weaver goes back down to Florida to visit. His mother had just returned from a trip to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, before Cats Illustrated spoke with Weaver.

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound defensive end considered the Miami offer a big one for that reason.

"That offer means a lot," Weaver said of Miami. "That's the crib. I always miss the crib. That's love from the city."

Assistant head coach and defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski is Miami's lead recruiter for Weaver. The Class of 2019 prospect said Miami's staff has stopped by his high school twice over the last couple of months.

"And Georgia's been doing the same thing," he said. "Miami offered me because I'm a Florida kid, so they're like, 'Yeah, we need him back in the city.' They saw my film and loved it. Georgia, same thing with them. They just saw my film."

On film, you'll see Weaver playing outside linebacker, tight end and defensive end. While his actual position in college has yet to be determined, Weaver said there's a consensus among the coaches he talks to: "They say I'm going to be a pass rusher, either D-End or outside linebacker."

Georgia doesn't have the same hometown vibe as Miami but the Bulldogs are coming off their best season in a very long time. When asked to talk about what the UGA offer meant, Weaver's first two words were, "Oh man."

"They've been showing me love ever since before the national championship. They've been showing a lot of love," Weaver said. "They came to the school twice. It's great. I was in school taking the ACT and my coach texted me and said, 'Make sure you call Georgia today.' I said, 'Why?' He said, 'They got a surprise for you.'

"So I said alright and I called up the coach and he said, 'Hey, look. Promise me you're going to come visit us soon. This is your surprise: A full ride from Georgia.' I was like, 'For real?' It was a big surprise. I had a big smile on my face.'"

Weaver has never visited UGA but he said he's hoping to attend the Bulldogs' junior day scheduled for two weeks from now.

But it's not just the blue bloods that have Weaver's attention.

Louisville's coaching staff communicates with Weaver on almost a daily basis. So does Purdue's, and Weaver notes that the Boilermaker coaching staff is full of connections to the city of Louisville. Tennessee's new coaching staff is pushing hard for Weaver, and he plans to visit Knoxville next weekend.

Weaver's genuinely grateful for every bit of attention that's coming his way. He took an unofficial visit to Cincinnati on Sunday.

"I'm on my way back now," Weaver said. "Cincinnati, they always show love. They come to the school almost every week. Coach G (Gino Guidugli), they always show love. The D-Line coach (Steve Stripling). I visited the campus and saw the dorms. They've got beautiful dorms. I went to the (basketball) game and it was a nice game. They're building up there so they were showing me a lot. They're remodeling. They just show a love of love. Really every school is, so I respect every school."

While Weaver has only been in Kentucky since 2014, that's plenty long enough for Mark Stoops' coaching staff to try and make him feel like a real in-state recruit for their program.

But with UK recruiting South Florida as well as they are these days, that's another reason Kentucky is appealing to him.

"Kentucky, I've got my family down there," Weaver said. "Jordan Wright, Stanley (Garner). They go to Kentucky. They got a lot of kids from Fort Lauderdale committed in the 2018 class. Coach (John) Schlarman from Kentucky and all of them show love. It feels like Coach Schlarman is at my school all the time. We text every day, talk every day.

"Jordan and Stanley, I know them personally. Jordan Wright's my cousin and Stanley, every time we go back home we work out. I'll be on the phone with Jordan. Matter of fact, I might call him right now in a second."

Schlarman and Stoops have both made Weaver feel like he's a priority.

"It's just what they're putting into it," Weaver said. "It's that love. Coach Stoops is the one who offered me. He sat me and my parents down and said, 'JJ, we really want you.' He told me that himself, so that meant a lot."

Weaver visited Kentucky during the Wildcats' first junior day at the end of January when the basketball team played Florida.

For now Weaver isn't in a hurry to name any favorites. He said he plans to attend a lot of camps this summer before narrowing his list down before his senior season starts. He plans to have a top ten at least by the end of the summer, and Weaver's plan is to announce his decision on November 30th, his birthday. He will graduate from high school in early December and become an early enrollee at whatever school he chooses.