LSU is still waiting on two important pieces to work their way back, but Lane Kiffin offered a little encouragement Monday on both Trey’Dez Green and Whit Weeks.
Kiffin said the tight end and linebacker will each “hopefully” return to the field “at some point” this season. Neither has a timetable, and both remain out indefinitely after injuries suffered in September.
Green went down in LSU’s Sept. 19 loss to Ole Miss with what his mother described as “some sprains and bruises” in his knee. Weeks fractured his lower leg in LSU’s Sept. 26 win over Texas A&M, according to multiple reports.
“That will make us feel a lot better,” Kiffin said as part of an answer to a question about the overall state of his LSU program. “Because those guys not just are great, All-American players.
They were the (number) sevens for a reason. They’re dynamic leaders on the field.”
Kiffin said LSU still doesn’t have a target date for Green, but the junior is making visible progress. He’s out of a brace now and moving around freely on the knee.
“If there’s anybody that’s gonna come back sooner maybe than what people thought, it would be him,” Kiffin said. He’s getting closer.”
Weeks, meanwhile, was still on a scooter with a heavy wrap on his injured leg as of Saturday. He watched LSU’s 63-14 win over McNeese State from a suite in Tiger Stadium rather than from the sideline.
For now, the Tigers have managed just fine without either one. LSU rolled past Texas A&M 35-6 in Week 4 and then blew out McNeese State the next week.
In Weeks’ spot, junior Davhon Keys started at linebacker. At tight end, LSU leaned on a group of transfer options - Malachi Thomas, Zach Grace and Roman Mothershed.
Mothershed, a Troy transfer, caught a 1-yard touchdown in the win over McNeese, and Keys finished with four tackles.
LSU has seven games left, and all of them are against Southeastern Conference opponents. The next stop is Kentucky on the road Saturday at 6 p.m. on ABC/ESPN, followed by Mississippi State at home in Week 7 and Auburn on the road in Week 8. The Tigers then get an open date in Week 9 before a Week 10 home game against Alabama.
In Other News...
LSU Got A Hopeful TreyDez Green Update Before SEC Play
LSU is heading into SEC play after a win over McNeese, and the conversation around the Tigers has quickly shifted from settling things down to getting ready for a tougher test against Kentucky. Lane Kiffin had plenty to say about the matchup and had praise for Wildcats coach Will Stein, while also using the week to take stock of where his own team stands after the opener.
The injury picture remains part of the backdrop, especially with quarterback Sam Leavitt dealing with a hamstring issue and the staff watching how that situation unfolds. Kiffin also offered a positive update on TreyDez Greens recovery, a development LSU will be happy to hear as it moves into conference play and continues to sort through the details of a game that figures to draw out more from the Tigers on both sides of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
LSU's Young Tigers May Have Forced Bigger SEC Roles
In a lopsided 63-14 win over McNeese, LSU got something more than an expected tune-up performance. Injuries among starters opened the door for younger players to see meaningful snaps, and several freshmen answered with the kind of production that can change the way a depth chart looks moving forward. On defense, Deuce Geralds, Zach Weeks and Jhase Thomas were among the young Tigers who made their presence felt.
Geralds stood out with a sack and a touchdown in the same game, while Corey Barber Jr. gave the offense a lift with 7 catches for 83 yards and 2 touchdowns as LSU piled up 731 total yards. Performances like those do not guarantee anything in the SEC, but they can force coaches to think differently about how quickly freshmen are ready for bigger roles when the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Ranking Snub Makes South Carolina Loss Sting Even More
Kentuckys overtime win over South Carolina should have given the Wildcats a little breathing room, but instead it left them with an even sharper edge. The AP Top 25 dropped Kentucky after the victory, a result that turned a hard-fought conference win into something of a rankings headache, even as ESPNs College Football Playoff insider Heather Dinich said her understanding of the selection committee would put the Wildcats back inside the top 25, at No. 17.
For LSU, the timing adds another layer to a Week 6 matchup already carrying plenty of weight. Kentucky gets a chance to answer the ranking snub against a top-10 opponent in No. 10 LSU, and the Tigers will be facing a team that has every incentive to make a statement and force its way back into the national conversation. [Read more 🡒]