Whit Weeks
In 2024, Whit Weeks was the SEC's most productive linebacker. In 2025, a broken ankle took most of his season. Now he's healthy, a preseason All-American, and the heartbeat of LSU's defense -- with the form to chase every award the position has.
In 2024, Whit Weeks was the SEC's most productive linebacker. In 2025, a broken ankle took most of his season. Now he's healthy, a preseason All-American, and the heartbeat of LSU's defense — with the form to chase every award the position has.
The 2024 tape is the case: 125 tackles, second-most in the SEC, with 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception, first-team All-SEC. Then 2025 broke — literally, an ankle at Ole Miss in late September that limited him to eight games and 31 tackles before he shut it down. He could have left on his 2024 reputation; instead he came back for his senior year, forgoing the 2026 draft. The voters still see it: he's an AP preseason first-team All-American and an ESPN-named Butkus contender entering 2026. The forward stakes are health and form — if he plays a full season at his 2024 level, he's in the conversation for every major defensive award, and LSU has the linchpin a feared front seven is built around. For Weeks, 2026 is the year the comeback becomes the coronation.
How he plays
Weeks is a downhill, sideline-to-sideline hammer at 6-2, around 224. Scouts (Bleacher Report's 2026 report and draft profiles) credit "explosive trigger and closing burst" with the range to cover the field, and "advanced diagnostic skills" — he "identifies plays pre-snap and reacts with zero hesitation" — plus "good stick and arm-over moves" as a blitzer. The production is the proof: 125 tackles, 10 for loss and 3.5 sacks in his healthy 2024. He plays the run "extremely physical and willing to stick his head into traffic." The honest edge, per the same reports, is a tackling habit — he "likes to lunge and leave his feet," which leads to the occasional miss. He's an every-down, instinctive thumper whose ceiling, when healthy, is the best linebacker in his conference.
The story
The 2024 tape is the case: 125 tackles, second-most in the SEC, with 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception, first-team All-SEC. Then 2025 broke -- literally, an ankle at Ole Miss in late September that limited him to eight games and 31 tackles before he shut it down. He could have left on his 2024 reputation; instead he came back for his senior year, forgoing the 2026 draft. The voters still see it: he's an AP preseason first-team All-American and an ESPN-named Butkus contender entering 2026. The forward stakes are health and form -- if he plays a full season at his 2024 level, he's in the conversation for every major defensive award, and LSU has the linchpin a feared front seven is built around. For Weeks, 2026 is the year the comeback becomes the coronation.
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Brian Kelly.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Lane Kiffin
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR04 · Rotational
Rotational. Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2025
W 17–10
at Clemson
2 QB HUR · 2 SOLO · 2 TOT
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 7 on the road.
How he plays
Play style
Weeks is a downhill, sideline-to-sideline hammer at 6-2, around 224. Scouts (Bleacher Report's 2026 report and draft profiles) credit "explosive trigger and closing burst" with the range to cover the field, and "advanced diagnostic skills" -- he "identifies plays pre-snap and reacts with zero hesitation" -- plus "good stick and arm-over moves" as a blitzer. The production is the proof: 125 tackles, 10 for loss and 3.5 sacks in his healthy 2024. He plays the run "extremely physical and willing to stick his head into traffic." The honest edge, per the same reports, is a tackling habit -- he "likes to lunge and leave his feet," which leads to the occasional miss. He's an every-down, instinctive thumper whose ceiling, when healthy, is the best linebacker in his conference.
Our classifier reads him the same way: is steady in every phase without a signature trait.
2026 Outlook
LSU
2026 Depth chart
Returning starter
Linebacker · LSU · editorial
Returning around him
- 7 LSU players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +0 net (41 in / 41 out)
2026 Award watch
- Butkus
LSU · Last season: 7-6 (AP #20) · Talent rank #6 · 2026 recruiting class #11
Perception vs tape
The 2024 tape is the case: 125 tackles, second-most in the SEC, with 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception, first-team All-SEC. Then 2025 broke -- literally, an ankle at Ole Miss in late September that limited him to eight games and 31 tackles before he shut it down.
Read the story →DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Caden Johnson’s 2025 season.
Matches Caden on
Differs from Caden on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Caden Johnson's junior season at Ball State (2025).
Matches Caden on
Differs from Caden on