LSU Linebacker Whit Weeks Breaks Lower Right Leg, Out Indefinitely

LSU defensive captain Whit Weeks is out indefinitely with a broken lower right leg, and coach Lane Kiffin has not ruled out a late-season return.

LSU senior linebacker Whit Weeks, a defensive captain for the Tigers, has a broken lower right leg that will keep him off the field indefinitely. Coach Lane Kiffin disclosed the injury Sunday and left open the possibility that Weeks could play again this season rather than sit out the remainder of the year.

Weeks exited in the second half of Saturday night's 35-6 win over Texas A&M, leaving the sideline in a walking boot. Kiffin said a firm answer on the linebacker's outlook, whether a late-season return is realistic or his year is done, should arrive by Monday.

The injury deprives the Tigers of a senior leader on defense. Weeks leaves behind notable production, with 23 tackles in four games, 2 1/2 of them behind the line of scrimmage.

Davhon Keys, the primary backup at the position, would be first in line to fill the void. Keys has appeared in all four games this season and has 11 tackles, one of them for a loss, and Tylen Singleton could also see more action while Weeks is out.

Weeks is one of several prominent LSU players to go down during the opening month of the season. Reserve linebacker Charles Ross will miss the rest of the year after hurting a knee ligament against the Aggies, and the Sept. 19 defeat at Mississippi cost the Tigers linebacker-safety DaShawn Spears, who tore a knee ligament and will not play again this season. Top tight end Trey'Dez Green also injured a knee in that game, though Kiffin said his season is expected to continue. Receiver Phillip Wright III suffered a leg injury in a Week 3 victory over Louisiana Tech that ended his year.

The pileup is testing a first-year staff and a remade roster. Kiffin arrived at LSU this season after an offseason overhaul of the personnel and acknowledged the situation plainly. "This was not a team built for a lot of top-level injuries," he said. "I told the staff you've got to earn your paycheck for the rest of the year."

The timing raises the degree of difficulty for the Tigers (3-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference). Kiffin noted he had never experienced this many season-ending or long-term injuries with only four games played, and seven SEC matchups remain on the schedule, five of them against ranked teams. "These are very significant players," he said. "You can do coach-speak and say next man up every time, but it matters. It's very challenging."

Eight games remain on LSU's regular-season schedule. The next one comes Saturday, when the Tigers host McNeese State of the Football Championship Subdivision.

The season closes with a demanding four-game stretch. LSU's final four contests are scheduled between Nov. 7 and Nov. 28, opening at home against No. 7 Alabama, followed by a home game against No. 1 Texas and road trips to No. 17 Tennessee and Arkansas.