LSU’s 35-6 rout of Texas A&M on Saturday night came with a costly turn in the third quarter, when linebacker Whit Weeks suffered a fracture in his right leg and spent the rest of the game on crutches with a boot on.
The Tigers kept rolling in Week 4 and protected their home field again, but Weeks’ injury changed the feel of the night. He has been one of the most discussed defenders on LSU’s roster this offseason because of his knack for shutting down drives and getting after quarterbacks, and his value inside the program goes well beyond the stat sheet.
Weeks is heading into his senior season after spending all four college years with LSU, lining up alongside brothers Zach and West Weeks. He also carries one of the program’s most recognizable honors, having been chosen to wear No. 7 on defense, a number tied to an elite, selfless playmaker in LSU football history. Add in his captain’s patch, and Weeks has become one of the most visible figures on the team, both on the field and in the locker room.
That’s why his absence loomed so large Monday, when Lane Kiffin addressed the injury at his press conference.
"It's not just because of the player that he is. It's the mentality, what he brings around him, and how he is," said Kiffin.
Weeks had surgery on his right fibula Monday morning and is expected to miss some time, though it remains unclear whether the injury will end his season. Kiffin said he knows Weeks will be out for a while, and called it a tough loss this early in the year.
For a roster heavy on transfer portal additions, Weeks has been the steady veteran the newer faces can lean on when the games get big.
With Weeks sidelined, LSU turned to Davhon Keys, who stepped into the linebacker role after Weeks left Saturday’s blowout. Kiffin pointed to Keys’ performance as a bright spot.
"Davhon played really well last week, which was obviously great to see. I really talked to him about, you know, before he went in, you know, this is a really big opportunity," said Kiffin.
Keys finished with six total tackles, including five solo stops, and gave LSU a needed answer at linebacker when the Tigers were forced to adjust on the fly.
Still, Kiffin made it clear that replacing Weeks is about more than plugging in another defender.
"He's (Keys) going to need to play really well for us not to have a drop-off on defense," said Kiffin.
In Other News...
LSU Just Turned One Huge Concern Into Real SEC Hope
After the disappointment against Ole Miss, LSU needed a response that looked and felt different, and Saturdays 35-6 rout of Texas A&M delivered exactly that. The Tigers moved the ball at will, piling up more than 500 yards on offense, with quarterback Sam Leavitt throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns while the defense set the tone by overwhelming the Aggies up front.
The broader picture matters even more for a team trying to keep its SEC path alive under Lane Kiffin. LSU held Texas A&M to fewer than 200 total yards and repeatedly disrupted the rhythm of the game with sacks and turnovers, a level of control that had been missing in the loss to Ole Miss. Whether it proves to be the reset this season needed will depend on what comes next, but this was the kind of complete performance that can change the conversation quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Just Got An Early Playoff Path Fans Will Study
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For LSU, those projections are the kind of thing fans around Baton Rouge will study closely because they help sketch out not just the Tigers own path, but the playoff lane that could open or tighten around them as the season goes on. The full breakdown also maps out projected bowl destinations and playoff matchups for every SEC team, giving a fresh snapshot of where LSU stands in a league where one good stretch can change everything and one bad Saturday can send the conversation in a different direction. [Read more 🡒]
LSU May Have Found A New Defensive Difference Maker
LSU left College Station with plenty of individual performances worth sorting through, but the defensive emergence of true freshman Deuce Geralds stands out as the kind of development that can change the feel of a front seven. After turning in a sack and two tackles for loss against Texas A&M, Geralds was named overall Game MVP and also picked up SEC Freshman of the Week honors, a strong sign that the Tigers may have another disruptive piece to work with as the season moves deeper into conference play.
Geralds was hardly the only Tiger making noise on that side of the ball. Tamarcus Cooley added two tackles, a sack and an interception, while Princewill Umanmielen kept his own pressure streak going with another sack to reach seven on the season. LSUs defense has been looking for a player who can consistently tilt a game, and after this outing, Geralds has at least made himself part of that conversation. [Read more 🡒]