By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
Whit Weeks’ return to LSU for his senior season set the tone for Lane Kiffin’s roster rebuild.
Weeks is a former first team All-Southeastern Conference player from 2024 and a preseason All-American selection last year. He could have easily gone into to the 2026 NFL Draft and cashed in.
His head coach was gone.
There was no clear future for the Tigers.
But he decided to stay because he wanted to be a part of something special.
“I want to bring back that nasty mentality to an LSU defense,” Weeks said at SEC Media Days on Thursday morning in Tampa, Florida. “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.”
Coordinator Blake Baker’s defense made vast improvements from year one to year two last season. The unit went from 15th in the SEC, allowing over 24 points per game, to fifth last year, giving up less than 20 a game. The 2025 Tigers’ defense also ranked sixth in the conference in yards allowed and led the SEC with 17 interceptions.
Weeks is looking to continue that improvement into year three and believes they have the incoming and returning talent to do it.
LSU will miss All-American cornerback Mansoor Delane, but PJ Woodland and DJ Pickett both made significant contributions last year in the secondary. Pickett tied for the team lead in interceptions with three in limited playing time as a true freshman, and Woodland’s eight passes defended were more than any other Tiger.
Weeks identified Woodland as someone who stepped up on the defense 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 made headlines during the spring with his performance in the secondary. Weeks became just another in a long list of players, coaches and former Tigers who have noted his talent.
“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.”
Benefield started 33 games in three seasons with the Broncos. He was named first-team All-Mountain West last year after racking up 107 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, two INTs and three PBUs.
Weeks, of course, has held down the middle of the defense as a regular in the LB rotation since his 2023 true freshman season. With his linebacker partner Harold Perkins selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, Weeks will now line up alongside 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 as a Rebel last season. LSU is the third stop of his college career, and he will take on both of his former schools this year — Clemson Sept. 5 and Ole Miss Sept. 19.
Baker’s unit, on paper, should take another step this year. Weeks is back from injury. Woodland, Pickett and Cooley return in the secondary. Benefield and Dottery join EDGE Princewill Umanmielen, who tallied nine sacks at Ole Miss last season, as immediate impact transfers.
So could this season be the return of LSU’s nasty defense? Of DBU?
Although the first snap against Clemson is still over six weeks away, it’s safe to say Weeks thinks so.
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