Whit Weeks didn’t have to come back to LSU for his senior season, but he did anyway - and that decision says plenty about where he wants this defense to go.
At SEC Media Days on Thursday morning in Tampa, Florida, the former first-team All-Southeastern Conference linebacker made it clear he sees his mission in simple terms: restore the edge. Restore the attitude. Restore the kind of defense opponents dread seeing on the schedule.
“I want to bring back that nasty mentality to an LSU defense,” Weeks said. “I think we’ve lacked that in my first three years here.
I truly do, and I take that personally on myself. I want to bring back that nasty defense when teams turn on the tape, they’re like, ‘Holy cow, we got to go play these dudes on Saturday.’
Like they know they’re in for one when they’re coming down to Baton Rouge.”
That’s a big statement, but LSU’s defense has already shown real progress under coordinator Blake Baker. Last season, the Tigers climbed from 15th in the SEC in points allowed - more than 24 per game in year one - to fifth in the league, giving up fewer than 20 a game. They also finished sixth in the conference in yards allowed and led the SEC with 17 interceptions.
Weeks believes the next jump is there, especially with the pieces LSU has coming back and the new talent coming in.
The secondary took a hit with the departure of All-American cornerback Mansoor Delane, but PJ Woodland and DJ Pickett both flashed last season. Pickett tied for the team lead with three interceptions despite limited action as a true freshman, while Woodland’s eight passes defended led the Tigers. Weeks singled out Woodland as a player who made noise during spring practice.
“He’s outstanding,” Weeks said. “Come week seven or eight, that’s going to be the guy who everybody’s like, ‘he’s the next great one from DBU.’”
Boise State transfer safety Ty Benefield has also been one of the loudest spring buzz names around the program, and Weeks added his own endorsement. Benefield started 33 games in three seasons with the Broncos and earned first-team All-Mountain West honors last year after posting 107 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, two INTs and three PBUs.
“He is an amazing athlete, and if I call it right now, I think he’s going to be a first-round draft pick the way that he goes about his business,” Weeks said. “He’s up there every single morning at 5:30 catching jugs.
Never skips a day, him and Tamarcus Cooley. And then his football mind, I mean, he plays right behind me, and he’ll call out the routes before it even happens.”
Weeks has been a steady presence in the middle of LSU’s defense since earning a regular role as a true freshman in 2023. With Harold Perkins now off to the Atlanta Falcons as a sixth-round NFL Draft pick, Weeks will pair with Ole Miss transfer linebacker TJ Dottery.
“I love playing besides TJ,” Weeks said. “Being hurt during the spring, I kind of got to sit back and watch him and kind of learn how he plays and kind of pick his brain and see the football he plays.
And I mean, he’s a tremendous athlete, loves to hit, and he brings energy every single snap. And that’s a guy who I want to play with.”
Dottery led the SEC with 98 tackles last season at Ole Miss, and LSU will see him line up against both of his former schools this year - Clemson on Sept. 5 and Ole Miss on Sept. 19.
On paper, Baker’s defense looks deeper and more dangerous than it did a year ago. Weeks is back healthy.
Woodland, Pickett and Cooley return in the secondary. Benefield and Dottery arrive as immediate-impact transfers.
EDGE Princewill Umanmielen is in the mix too after recording nine sacks at Ole Miss last season.
So the question hanging over LSU is the one Weeks is already answering out loud: is this the group that brings back the nasty defense, and maybe even DBU?
The first test comes against Clemson in more than six weeks, but Weeks has already made his answer pretty clear.
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Kiffins praise went beyond the usual offseason optimism, with the Ole Miss coach projecting Leavitt as the kind of talent that could hear his name called early in the NFL draft. He also pointed to the way Leavitt throws and moves as reasons the fit makes sense, while expressing confidence that the foot issue that slowed him last season will not keep him from making an impact this fall. [Read more 🡒]