WHIT WEEKS 2025 PROFILE
- Lonn Phillips Sullivan
- Jul 19
- 4 min read
SUBSCRIBE HERE TO GAIN FURTHER ACCESS TO LSUODYSSEY
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
FOLLOW US @LonnPhillips
Right now, many top college football analysts believe the best linebacker in college football resides in Baton Rouge, existing as a young McConaughey / Rambo amalgamation of everything that we love about football, wrapped together in a beastly, nostalgic, totemic package that recalls freewheeling, headband-donning 80s action heroes, while blessed with the inner athleticism of the perfect modern linebacker.....
....meet LSU junior Mr. Whit Weeks, the second eldest Weeks Brother on campus, sporting the same long, flowing blonde hair as his older brother West, a jawline so authoritative it could hunt a man down on its own, Whit is without question the focal point of Blake Baker's defense, and easily the Tigers' best performing defender over the past 2 years....a pair of seasons where LSU suffered some of their worst defensive performances in program history.
Exhibiting a ferocity and commitment to football violence no LSU fan had seen since the departure of Devin White or Jamal Adams, the sophomore linebacker colossus out of Oconee High, Georgia wasn't only LSU's 2024 leading tackler, he was the heartbeat of Blake Baker's defense, a key team leader & undisputedly among the best defenders in the country.
Leading the SEC in solo stops last fall (61) backed by 124 total tackles, Weeks showcased a mouth-watering propensity to stuff the stat sheet, even as a freshman thrown into the fire (leading the team in tackles on his starting debut in 2023...on the road in the SEC no less)....
.....from Whit's first snaps at LSU until his last at the time of writing, #40 is most often always the player who arrives first to shut down a ball carrying opponent, racking up the tackles at a clip LSU fans hadn't seen in years (3 games of 17+ tackles last season alone, 10 career games recording 8+ tackles, going on a rampage last fall when he delivered 6 games with double digit tackles).
However, throughout his nationally acclaimed sophomore rise, finally earning a proper starting slot following Harold Perkins' season-ending injury, Weeks displays far more than traditional linebacker attributes, picking off passes with the anticipation & tip-drill genius of the Honeybadger (even garnering the "racy" nickname "The Honkybadger" from fans), forcing a critical fumble & racking up 18 tackles in an overtime win over Ole Miss, posting the 2nd most tackles for loss on the team (10), the 3rd most sacks (3.5), batting down 3 passes in coverage or at the line of scrimmage, and forcing 2 fumbles....the Georgia-born Tiger produced dominate displays like they were going out of style....
Due to his brand of voluminous production, the prolifically violent Weeks might just break records at LSU with another stellar campaign....perhaps a year where LSU play 15-16 games....
While many understandably look to Harold Perkins as the team's best defensive player, I think the scenario is more like this:
At his best, Harold may be the best pure footballing specimen on the team, but he definitely has stern competition for title of "LSU's Defensive MVP" when considering Whit Weeks' incredible contributions & overall value as a Tiger throughout 2023-2024, supplying the only light at the end of a dark defensive tunnel for LSU fans.
Despite his initial hesitancy to start him in 2023 or even 2024, Brian Kelly's Tigers won their first 7 games with Whit Weeks starting, posting an overall 10-3 record during 2 mostly poor defensive campaigns in 2023 (historically awful) and 2024....
Without Weeks' 174 tackles, 14 TFLs, 4 sacks, 1 game-sealing interception, 2 game-turning fumbles forced, 2023-2024 LSU probably lose 3, maybe even 4 more games during that stretch.
Even as Baker's 2024 group lost Tiger starters like Perkins or Jacobian Guillory to early season ending injuries, played a duo of freshmen at defensive tackle and started another at linebacker (all 3 performing well in response, but not an ideal situation), all as the safety position continued to be a major issue, it's not crazy for anyone to suggest the gritty playmaking & steely leadership of Whit Weeks actually saved the Tigers from a second consecutive disastorous defensive season....
Sitting out Spring due to his own nasty injury vs Baylor, Weeks just made an appearance at SEC Media Days, beaming with excitement and a definitive hunger to get back out on the field....this time, potentially starting next to his own flesh and blood.
Despite the stop-start nature of Whit's first stage at LSU, the Tigers' heat-seeking missile has now earned the right to be unimpeachable, almost unquestioned concerning starting lineups, such is his commitment to the team, his selfless, all-encompassing deliverance of footballing brutality, and the soldier of fortune mentality this renegade was born with....
A true cornerstone for the 2025 Tigers' chances at a National Championship, Whit Weeks is must-see-TV for every football fan, but for LSU Tigers faithful, he's almost too good to be true....but here he is....ready to do whatever is required for victory.
Marked for greatness, the true success of Whit Weeks isn't merely found within his own individual football presence, it's how his breathtaking best automatically elevates those around him....a skill that should make 2025 a riveting defensive year for LSU...
Anchored by Weeks, 2025 should be an intriguing watch as potential transfer starters like AJ Haulcy, Patrick Payton, Jack Pyburn, and Mansoor Delane combine alongside injured returning 2024 starters Harold Perkins, Jacobian Guillory and Weeks himself, there's a sense this could finally become the proper mix of talent, physicality, heart and hustle LSU defenses have sorely missed for so long....
by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
©️ 2025 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
His commitment, infectious joy, and love for LSU supplement his talent and definitely make him one of my favorites.