Whit Weeks announces he will return to LSU, play for Lane Kiffin in 2026

LSU linebacker Whit Weeks has announced he will return to the program for the 2026 season. That had been the expectation out of Baton Rouge in recent days.

Still, it’s a massive retention for the Tigers and new head coach Lane Kiffin. When healthy, Weeks is one of the top linebackers in the country.

“College is too much fun to leave, and there is no better place in the country to be right now than Baton Rouge, Louisiana,” Whit Weeks wrote on his Instagram account. “All I want to do is ball in the purple and gold. See you in September.”

Weeks was a 2024 first-team All-SEC selection for both the Associated Press and the league’s coaches. He was twice named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year during the 2024 campaign.

However, his 2025 season was marred by injury. Weeks appeared in eight games during the season, missing a handful of contests.

He logged 31 tackles, 3.0 tackles for a loss, a sack and a fumble recovery during the year. That trailed his production from the 2024 campaign by a wide margin.

In 2024, Weeks racked up an impressive 125 stops, 10.0 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception, four passes defended and three pass breakups.

During his three-year career at LSU, Week’s totals are 205 tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss, 5.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, an interception, four passes defended and three pass breakups.

Harlem Berry staying at LSU too

While Weeks was excellent New Year’s Day news for the Tigers, LSU also got massive news on Wednesday. According to Matt Moscona, running back Harlem Berry will return to the program for the 2026 season.

New head coach Lane Kiffin is working on retaining a few key players, with Berry being one of them. Now, the deal is reportedly done as the star running back is not going anywhere.

Berry played in all 13 games this past season for LSU, recording 491 yards and two touchdowns in 104 carries. Not the most eye-popping stats when looking at the paper. However, many believe this is just the beginning of what Berry is capable of. Not many players possess the skillset he does, which could translate into him becoming a top running back in college football.

On3’s Griffin McVeigh also contributed to this report.