Which LSU Veteran Has the Best Chance to Become an All-American?

He's proved his worth for three years

Whit Weeks speaks at SEC Media Days | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gone are the days of the player-coach, a role popular 100 years ago when the best players were typically some of the best coaches at the same time.

LSU has the closest modern alternative with linebacker Whit Weeks, who returns to LSU in 2026 for his senior season. Weeks was named a team captain last year and will likely take up the same role under new head coach Lane Kiffin.

Kiffin and his offensive scheme are new, but third year defensive coordinator Blake Baker is back and ready to lead LSU to dominate offenses like it did in the 2010s. That's the same vision Weeks has. Behind Weeks' vision, talent and leadership, he has all of the makings of an All-American.

Weeks in the 2026 defense

Whit Weeks calls out to the defense in a 2025 game against Ole Miss | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I wanna bring back that nasty mentality to an LSU defense. I think we’ve lacked that in my first three years here," Weeks said at SEC Media Days. "I truly do, and I take that personally on myself.”

Weeks taking the lack of nastiness on himself says a lot, because he has been one of the biggest pieces of LSU's defense over the last few years. Though he battled injuries in 2025, he earned First Team All-SEC honors in 2024.

In 2026, LSU has a young defensive line group that is going to be challenged heavily in every game. The Tigers' have an elite secondary that passing games are going to try and work around, so the linebacking group is going to have to take a step up.

Safety Ty Benefield has been figuring out the offenses plays in camp, so he and Weeks are going to be able to sniff out any type of attack before it happens. This puts Weeks in a perfect spot to have his best collegiate year yet.

Now, he is fully healthy in 2026, and fully focused despite some potential distractions. Weeks is dating his head coaches daughter, Landry, but both he and his coach have said it doesn't affect anything inside the football buildings.

The ability to seperate the two and tune out distractions is one that showcases Weeks' top-end competitiveness. Once he gets inside the lines, its just football.

Over his 32 games played, Weeks has recorded 205 tackles, with 125 of those coming in 2024. He ranked second in the SEC in total tackles that year. He also has five total sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss over his career, again with most of the numbers coming in 2024.

His last healthy season is the perfect showcase for what he is able to do on the field. It just has to be done with the most pressure he's faced yet.

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