GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
As projected, LSU sophomore linebacker Whit Weeks is expected to be back in time for spring football, or at least some of it, after breaking a bone in his lower right leg connected to his ankle in the Tigers’ 44-31 win over Baylor in the Texas Bowl Tuesday in Houston.
LSU coach Brian Kelly said after the game that Weeks, a sophomore from Watkinsville, Georgia, who led LSU in tackles in the 2024 season with 125, would have surgery and likely be back for spring football. LSU has not set a date for spring football, but it usually starts in March.
LSU PLAYERS RUSHED THE FIELD TO CHECK ON WHIT WEEKS
Weeks had surgery Thursday, did not suffer any ligament damage, and is expected to recover in about three months, according to a Baton Rouge Advocate story.
Back Soon @WeeksWhit pic.twitter.com/fbXMsuGCxs
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) January 2, 2025
After making six tackles with three solo stops, Weeks suffered the injury on a 1-yard touchdown run by Baylor running back Dawson Pendergrass that cut LSU’s lead to 28-14 with 1:41 to play in the second quarter. Weeks clutched his lower right leg and hit the ground as the play ended.
Weeks started the last 11 games of the 2024 season, finishing with a team-high 61 solo tackles, 10 stops for loss, 3.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception. He was named the Southeastern Conference player of the week after the Tigers’ 29-26 overtime win over No. 8 Ole Miss in Tiger Stadium on Oct. 12. He made a career-high 18 tackles with two for loss, a sack and a forced fumble in that game.
“Obviously, we feel for Whit,” Kelly said after the game. “And certainly, he’s a tough kid who will handle this the right way. We’ll act quickly on it.”
At the time, Kelly said Weeks only dislocated his ankle. The way his lower leg was bent on the play and the urgency with which trainers quickly worked on him and applied a cast caused great concern on the LSU sideline. And virtually the entire roster rushed the field to check on Weeks before he was carted away.
“I think our team responded appropriately, because he’s such an important part of what we do,” Kelly said. “He was the heartbeat of your team, and in particular the defense. I don’t know that they (Weeks’ teammates) knew the nature of the injury. So, they were very guarded about what it might have been.”
Weeks’ older brother, fourth-year senior linebacker West Weeks, was particularly upset as he threw his helmet in frustration when he saw the injury. Weeks replaced his brother in the game and finished with six tackles, including three solo stops.
“I can’t really even put it into words,” West Weeks said after the game. “Seeing my brother like that, it took a huge toll on me. And honestly, the only thing that got me back in the game was seeing my whole team rallying around him. That was special to me.”
LSU DEEP RESERVE ENTERS TRANSFER PORTAL
LSU junior defensive tackle Kimo Makane’ole, a deep reserve who made one tackle in 10 games in 2024 after four games as an offensive lineman in 2023, has entered the transfer portal. The deadline for entering the portal was Dec. 28, but players in the postseason have five days after their bowl or playoff game to enter the portal.
Makane’ole (6-foot-4, 309 pounds) signed with LSU in 2021 as a three-star prospect and the No. 28 interior offensive lineman in the nation out of Niceville, Florida, by 247sports.com, which had him ranked No. 52 in Florida. After redshirting in 2021, Makane’ole was a backup on the offensive line in 2022 and ’23 before switching to the defensive line in spring practice last season.
The loss of Makane’ole brings the number of LSU players entering the portal to 18. The Tigers have added 14 from the portal.
LSU’s 2024-25 TRANSFER PORTAL CLASS
-No. 2 Overall and No. 1 Edge Patrick Payton, Florida State.
-No. 10 Overall and No. 5 WR Nic Anderson, Oklahoma.
-No. 18 Overall and No. 8 WR-RET Barion Brown, Kentucky.
-No. 36 Overall and No. 2 CB Mansoor Delane, Virginia Tech.
-No. 43 Overall and No. 6 DE Jake Pyburn, Florida.
-No. 53 Overall and No. 4 Interior OL Braelin Moore, Virginia Tech.
-No. 66 Overall and No. 6 Interior OL Josh Thompson, Northwestern.
-No. 71 Overall and No. 8 CB Ja’Keem Jackson, Florida.
-No. 92 Overall and No. 13 QB Michael Van Buren, Mississippi State.
-No. 125 Overall and No. 14 DE Jimari Butler, Nebraska.
-No. 128 Overall and No. 8 TE Bauer Sharp, Oklahoma.
-No. 307 Overall and No. 25 DT Sydir Mitchell, Texas.
-Unranked WR Destyn Hill, Florida State.
-Unranked P Grant Chadwick, Middle Tennessee State.
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