Lane Kiffin Has a Depth Problem LSU Can No Longer Hide

After making it through the first month of the season with a handful of key players sidelined, LSU’s injury situation is becoming more meaningful as the Tigers enter the heart of their SEC schedule.

The issue for LSU is no longer simply who is injured, but whether the Tigers have enough depth to overcome those absences against SEC competition.

With an uninterrupted stretch of conference games ahead, LSU’s depth is about to face its biggest test of the season. For head coach Lane Kiffin, how the roster responds could become one of the defining storylines of the season.

LSU’s Injury List Continues to Grow

LSU linebacker Whit Weeks — Sep 19, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; LSU Tigers linebacker Whit Weeks (7) waits for the snap during the first quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

LSU has already lost several important contributors, including linebacker Whit Weeks and tight end Trey’Dez Green, while safety Da’Shawn Spears suffered a torn ACL earlier in the season. The Tigers have also dealt with injuries to other players throughout the first five weeks of the season.

Weeks’ absence is particularly significant for the LSU defense, as the senior linebacker entered the season as one of the most experienced players on the roster. Weeks earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2024 after finishing second in the conference with 125 tackles, and he entered 2026 with 205 career tackles.

Weeks suffered a leg fracture during LSU’s 35-6 victory over Texas A&M and underwent surgery following the injury. While there is optimism that he could return later in the season, there is no firm timetable for his return.

The Tigers have turned to Davhon Keys and other linebackers to fill the void left by Weeks, but replacing his production is about more than simply finding another player to take his snaps.

Weeks is also LSU’s defensive leader and has served as the team’s signal-caller on defense.

On the other side of the ball, LSU is dealing with a similar problem at tight end.

Green suffered a knee injury during LSU’s loss to Ole Miss and has missed the Tigers’ last two games. Kiffin said Monday that Green is no longer wearing a brace and is “getting closer,” but there is still no timetable for his return.

Green was expected to be one of the focal points of Kiffin’s offense entering the season after earning second-team All-SEC honors in 2025. He caught 33 passes for 433 yards and seven touchdowns last season, setting the LSU single-season record for touchdown receptions by a tight end.

Through the first two games of 2026, Green had already established himself as an important part of LSU’s passing game, catching six passes for 104 yards and a touchdown against Louisiana Tech alone.

So far, LSU has managed to overcome the absences.

The Tigers defeated Texas A&M 35-6 despite losing Weeks during the game and followed that performance with a 63-14 victory over McNeese. LSU enters the Kentucky game 4-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play.

The Schedule Is About To Get Real

LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin looks on against the McNeese Cowboys during the first half at Tiger Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The level of competition is about to change.

LSU begins a stretch of conference games Saturday at Kentucky before returning home to face Mississippi State and then traveling to Auburn. After a bye week, the Tigers will face Alabama and Texas before traveling to Tennessee and Arkansas to close the regular season.

That stretch leaves little room for LSU to rely on its starters playing every snap.

Kiffin has already acknowledged the impact the injuries have had on his team, saying he would feel better about LSU “if it weren’t for the injuries.” At the same time, he has continued to point toward the quality of the Tigers’ play when the first team is on the field.

That makes the upcoming SEC stretch a test of the roster Kiffin constructed.

LSU has enough talent at the top of the roster to compete with almost anyone. The question now is whether the players behind those starters can consistently perform at an SEC level when their opportunities become more significant.

The McNeese game gave LSU an opportunity to get younger players meaningful snaps in a comfortable situation. LSU’s 63-14 victory allowed the Tigers to rotate players while protecting some of the players still dealing with injuries.

The rest of the slate will provide a much different test.

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