LSU LB TJ Dottery Returns To A Key Role On Defense

LSU had unfortunate luck in the month of September. Outside of the three wins and one loss, the team suffered major blows with key player injuries all month long.

The program has now made a mid-season shift to a next-man-up mentality, plugging holes on both sides of the ball to keep up the streak of success.

On the defense, linebacker Whit Weeks went down during the Texas A&M game with a fractured right leg, with linebacker TJ Dottery stepping into the position. Now, he takes over a role that he's familiar with.

Play-Maker Turned Play-Caller

LSU linebacker TJ Dottery — Sep 26, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers linebacker TJ Dottery (6) lines up in coverage against the Texas A&M Aggies during the third quarter at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dottery followed Lane Kiffin on the short trip to Baton Rouge last offseason, transferring to LSU to continue his college career with familiar staff.

At Ole Miss, Dottery was a standout linebacker on the defensive unit, totaling 174 total tackles during his two seasons with the Rebels.

His defensive talents weren't the only thing that made Dottery stand out among the unit, also wearing the green dot helmet to relay play calls from Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding.

Now that he's stepped into Weeks' role on the defense, he's back to play-calling.

During Tuesday's press conference, Dottery was asked about stepping back into this role.

"It's been good having it back again… a little bit more communication, but it hasn't been anything to slow me down," said Dottery

He's been able to quickly take over both Week's weak-side linebacker position and his leadership role on the unit, making him the go-to guy to communicate play-calls to the rest of the unit.

With some experience last season in this role, Dottery has easily adjusted to the green dot helmet. But there's one key difference from wearing the helmet at LSU, with defensive coordinator Blake Baker in his ear.

A New Voice

As a majority of the coaching staff is familiar with Dottery, coming from Ole Miss, Baker was a brand new play-caller for the linebacker.

When asked about the difference between Baker and Golding, Dottery told the media that there are some differences, expressing his gratitude for Baker's knowledge.

"Blake, I think his knowledge of the game is awesome. And then his knowledge of the position as well, him actually playing backer just it's been awesome," said Dottery.

As one of the most well-respected coordinators in college football, with a top-ranked defensive unit, Baker's knowledge of the game comes from a long career of coaching, as well a few years playing linebacker at Tulane.

Being able to have that first-hand knowledge as a coach makes the player-coach connection even stronger, from locker room talks to game-time play calls.

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