LSU’s linebacker room took a major hit in the win over Texas A&M, and now the Tigers have to sort out what comes next without Whit Weeks and Charles Ross II.
Weeks suffered a fractured fibula and is expected to miss extended time, though there is still a possibility he returns late in the season. He left with a walking boot and crutches after head coach Lane Kiffin told ESPN he was worried about the severity of the injury.
"Whit left, it looked really bad," Kiffin told ESPN sideline reporter Kris Budden. "It's the next people up and hopefully we don't keep having to say that."
Ross II’s injury is even more definitive. The special teams standout tore his ACL against Texas A&M and will miss the rest of the season, ending his 2026 campaign.
That leaves LSU with a thinner group at linebacker moving forward, and the projected depth chart now looks different. At MIKE linebacker, TJ Dottery appears first, followed by Davhon Keys and Zach Weeks.
How that group is deployed against McNeese is still unclear. LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker could shift Dottery or Keys to WILL linebacker to help cover for Singleton’s lack of experience. Even so, Singleton will have a chance to show whether he can handle the starting job against McNeese State, a lower-tier opponent.
The linebacker injuries are only the latest in a growing list for LSU this season. Safety Dashawn Spears is already out for the year with an ACL injury suffered against Ole Miss, tight end Trey'Dez Green was carted off with a lower-body injury that will keep him sidelined for an extended stretch, and wide receiver Phillip Wright III was later ruled out for the year after originally getting hurt against Louisiana Tech.
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LSU Suddenly Has Real QB Intrigue Before McNeese
LSU heads into Saturday nights game against McNeese with more uncertainty at quarterback than anyone expected this week. The Tigers are set for a 6:45 p.m. kickoff in Death Valley, but the main storyline isnt the matchup itself so much as who Lane Kiffin will put behind center after Sam Leavitts recent left hamstring injury opened the door for questions about the depth chart.
Landen Clark and Husan Longstreet have both entered the conversation, and Kiffin still has not made a decision on the starter. McNeese brings its own established signal-caller in Devin Lippold, a third-year quarterback with a steady season to this point, but for LSU the intrigue is all about whether the Tigers can navigate the week cleanly enough to get the right answer before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Quarterback Situation Just Got More Interesting Before McNeese
McNeese will head into its matchup with LSU without third-year quarterback Devin Lippold, who is out with a right wrist injury and will be replaced by Jake Strong. On LSUs side, the quarterback picture is still taking shape as the Tigers prepare for the game, with Sam Leavitt expected to start while working back from a left hamstring injury.
The bigger question for LSU is how much the offense might need to lean on depth behind Leavitt if he is not fully ready to handle his usual workload. Landen Clark and Husan Longstreet are both candidates to see the field, which gives the Tigers a little more insurance but also leaves some uncertainty in a position group that will be closely watched once kickoff arrives. [Read more 🡒]
LSU May Have Found A New Defensive Contributor Fans Should Watch
Jhase Thomas is starting to look like more than just a special teams piece for LSU. The defensive back saw his playing time rise against Texas A&M after spending most of his first season in that familiar off-to-the-side role, and his growth has been building quietly in the background as he settled into college football and worked his way toward a bigger defensive opportunity.
Thomas prepared for the expanded look by studying film and leaning on veteran teammates, while also drawing on the guidance of his father, former NFL defensive back Fred Thomas. For LSU, it is the kind of progression coaches like to see from a young recruit becoming a real contributor, and it gives the defense another name worth tracking as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]