LSU’s September has been a grind, and the defense has had to keep adjusting on the fly. With injuries stacking up across the month, the Tigers have leaned hard into a next-man-up approach, and that has pushed TJ Dottery back into a central spot on the field.
Dottery is now handling the weak-side linebacker job after Whit Weeks went down against Texas A&M with a fractured right leg. It’s a role he knows well, and one that also puts him back in charge of getting the defense lined up and relaying calls.
That responsibility isn’t new to him. Dottery came to Baton Rouge last offseason after following Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss, where he had already built a strong résumé. In two seasons with the Rebels, he piled up 174 total tackles and also wore the green dot, serving as the defender responsible for getting play calls from defensive coordinator Pete Golding.
During Tuesday’s press conference, Dottery talked about settling back into that kind of role.
"It's been good having it back again… a little bit more communication, but it hasn't been anything to slow me down," said Dottery
The transition has been smooth enough that he’s taken on both Weeks’ position and his leadership duties without much trouble. He’s become the main voice helping direct the rest of the unit.
There is, though, one important change from his time with the green dot at Ole Miss. At LSU, defensive coordinator Blake Baker is the one talking into his ear.
Dottery said there are differences between Baker and Golding, but he also made clear how much he values Baker’s background.
"Blake, I think his knowledge of the game is awesome. And then his knowledge of the position as well, him actually playing backer just it's been awesome," said Dottery.
Baker’s reputation around college football is already strong, and his own experience at linebacker at Tulane gives him another layer of credibility with the players. For Dottery, that kind of perspective helps tighten the connection between coach and defender, whether it’s in meetings or during the heat of a game.
In Other News...
LSU Enters Kentucky With One Big Edge And A Real Concern
LSU got a clean bill of health change-wise on its final injury report for the Kentucky game, while the Wildcats are dealing with a more damaging list on the other side. Kentucky will be without defensive lineman Kalen Edwards, and that matters in a matchup where trench play already shapes how both teams want to control the game. For the Tigers, the headline is not a new setback, but the chance to lean on an edge that has been there since the report first came out.
Still, LSU is not exactly walking into this one untouched. The Tigers will be missing five players, including linebackers Whit Weeks and Charles Ross II, safety Dashawn Spears, wide receiver Phillip Wright III and tight end Trey'Dez Green, which leaves the roster thinner in a few key spots. Even so, the most intriguing part of the matchup may be how LSU's running game holds up against a Kentucky defense trying to absorb its own injury losses and keep the Tigers from dictating the pace. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Freshman WR Is Forcing A Rethink Before Kentucky
LSU has spent plenty of effort rebuilding its wide receiver room through the transfer portal under coach Lane Kiffin, adding nine newcomers and creating one of the rosters most watched battles for snaps. But after the McNeese game, true freshman Corey Barber Jr. made a real case to be part of the conversation, giving the Tigers another young option to consider as they sort out who belongs on the field.
The timing matters because Kentucky is next, and the competition is not just about depth anymore. Kansas State transfer Jayce Brown is still in the mix, but Barbers breakout has forced LSU to at least rethink how the rotation should look going forward, with both players expected to keep fighting for playing time this week. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Know This Kentucky Series Has Never Felt Normal
LSU and Kentucky spent a stretch meeting every season from 1952 to 2002, and even with LSU holding the upper hand in the series, the matchup never settled into anything routine. There were old Kentucky wins from the Bear Bryant era, and there was the kind of back-and-forth history that makes this SEC pairing feel a little off-kilter compared with more familiar league rivalries.
More recently, the game has kept finding ways to look strange, including LSUs dramatic finish in 2002 and Kentuckys latest victory over the Tigers in 2021, a 42-21 result in Lexington. For LSU fans, the memory bank on this series is full of odd turns and uncomfortable surprises, which is part of why Kentucky week has never quite felt normal. [Read more 🡒]