By Jeff White (jwhite@virginia.edu)
VirginiaSports.com
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — When he felt the searing pain in his knee, JR Wilson feared the worst. He’d missed his senior football season at Canarsie High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., while recovering from a torn ACL, and now, a few days into his third training camp at the University of Virginia, he was injured again.
“In that moment, I thought my season was over,” Wilson said, and he grew more anxious as he waited for the results of his MRI.
“That was really the hardest part,” Wilson said. “I thought, ‘This could be my season or it could not be my season.’ ”
Adam Mims, who coaches the Cavaliers’ wide receivers, did his best to put Wilson at ease. “JR had dealt with an ACL before,” Mims recalled this week, “and, of course, the first thing that you think of is the worst-case scenario. But at that point, we didn’t know what the issue was. I tell my guys any time they get hurt that we can’t worry about anything, we’ve got to pray about everything.”
Those prayers were answered. Wilson learned his injury wasn’t season-ending. “I’m just grateful that it wasn’t something major,” he said.
A 6-foot-4, 212-pound junior, Wilson had arthroscopic surgery on his knee in August, after which “he vehemently attacked rehab,” Mims said. “He got back way sooner than we even expected him to get back, and that’s just a testament to him and his character and just how he’s grown up and matured over the last couple years.”
Wilson is expected to make his 2024 debut Saturday at Scott Stadium, where UVA (3-1 overall, 1-0 ACC) hosts Boston College (4-1, 1-0) at noon.
“I’m excited about his return,” head coach Tony Ellliott said.
Can’t wait for Saturday in Scott🔶⚔️🔷🏟️#UVAStrong | #GoHoos⚔️ pic.twitter.com/NYZbjYsIhw
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) October 1, 2024
Wilson was cleared to play on the eve of the Wahoos’ most recent game, a Sept. 21 visit to Coastal Carolina, but with a bye week coming up, the coaching staff decided it made sense to give him a little more recovery time.
“I’m back out here feeling 100 percent,” Wilson said. “It’s great to be back. It’s everything.”
As a true freshman in 2022, Wilson appeared in seven games, with two starts, and caught two passes for eight yards. He played in all 12 games last season, starting five of them, and had 10 receptions for 98 yards. His potential was tantalizing, but…