LSU is heading into the final stretch of non-conference play with some real shuffling to do on defense.
The Tigers host McNeese at Tiger Stadium on Saturday, but the bigger story is what LSU is missing. Even after the blowout win over Texas A&M last weekend, injuries have stacked up in a way that’s thinning out the Purple and Gold’s defensive depth.
“These [injuries] that are season-ending, of players that have major roles, they just affect a lot,” Head Coach Lane Kiffin said on LSU’s recent player injuries. “They affect a lot of different parts.”
One of the biggest losses is fifth-year senior linebacker Whit Weeks, who is out for several games. LSU is also down fourth-string linebacker Charles Ross II, who is done for the season.
The secondary has taken its own hit, too. Dashawn Spears is out for the year with an ACL injury, leaving another hole for LSU to fill.
That means younger players are being pushed into bigger roles fast, and the Tigers may have to adjust the way they handle things on defense.
Junior linebacker Davhon Keys has already been through this kind of spot duty before. He stepped in for Weeks last season after the starter went down with a lower-leg injury against Ole Miss.
Keys also knows how much Weeks means to the group. As one of LSU’s captains, he’s earned plenty of respect inside the locker room.
“Whit’s a very high energy guy, so I need to start bringing that energy,” Keys said. “The juice has to come from the linebackers and, you know, stepping up for Whit.”
At safety, redshirt freshman Jhase Thomas is making the jump from special teams to the back end after Spears’ injury. That puts him among the youngest defensive backs on the field, but it also gives him a chance to grow quickly with more experienced players around him.
“Obviously having a whole bunch of veterans around me made it a lot easier for me,” Thomas said of his first career start against Texas A&M. “A lot of guys with a whole lot of experience, so it just made me more confident on the field.”
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