Lane Kiffin barely unpacked his bags in Baton Rouge, and he’s already calling the shots.

The LSU Tigers are wasting no time locking in plans for Whit Weeks. As per Kiffin’s latest update, the Tigers will go to great lengths to make the linebacker stay put in the Baton Rouge camp. 

“Big emphasis on keeping Whit Weeks,” said Kiffin on the LSU Radio as reported by NOLA News analyst Wilson Alexander on December 27. “That’s a big priority for us.”

Frank Wilson’s last game as interim head coach came under tough circumstances. The roster thinned out in multiple areas following a wave of transfer portal departures and 2026 NFL Draft decisions. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, linebacker Harold Perkins, and wide receiver Aaron Hudson had already made their intentions clear about opting out of the Texas Bowl matchup against the Houston Cougars.

Weeks, too, has joined them. Wilson shut the door on any chance of Weeks playing, ruling him out before the game. What’s still undecided is whether Weeks suits up for LSU again or heads to the 2026 NFL Draft. That’s when Kiffin made things clear about his ‘Retain Whit Weeks’ plan. 

Looks like the Tigers already have a weapon, and that’s their defensive coordinator, Blake Baker. 

“I think our trust in Coach Baker, our buy-in to what he’s teaching us and what he’s preaching to us,” Weeks said in one of his interviews this season. “He brings energy every single day, so it’s hard not to bring energy when the boss man is bringing it.”

LSU caught a lucky break. The Tigers were bracing for chaos when Baker, the anchor of their defense the past two seasons, started to test the waters elsewhere. He has been a hot target for the head coaching gigs at Tulane Green Wave and Memphis Tigers. 

“I didn’t feel like I could make a bad decision,” Baker said, “and that’s what makes it really, really hard.”

After a sit-down with Kiffin, Baker inked a fresh three-year deal worth $9.3 million, locking in his spot with LSU and keeping the defensive ship steady. And the Tigers now might look for some more favors from the coach so that LSU holds a firm place in Weeks’ heart.

He has firmly stamped himself as one of the nation’s elite linebackers, earning First Team All-SEC honors last season. In 32 games across three seasons at Baton Rouge, he’s piled up 205 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, and a pick.

The last time LSU rolled into the Texas Bowl, Weeks went down with a dislocated ankle against the Baylor Bears. Fast forward to this season, and he’s sidelined once again.

This time with a broken ankle versus Ole Miss. Weeks missed four games and saw limited action in the final three as he fought his way back from the injury. While Kiffin looks all geared up to bring him back for the 2026 season, a few days back, the linebacker made his feelings clear about the head coach.

Whit Weeks’ reaction when Lane Kiffin took the throne at LSU

Back in September 2025, the news dropped. Kiffin’s daughter, Landry, and Weeks were officially in the spotlight. She shared a thread of pics, and one with the linebacker, too. The comments section confirmed it.

“Is it the week of hard launching @kenziecregg,” wrote Landry’s best friend, Molly Beam. 

Back then, Kiffin was still coaching the Ole Miss Rebels. Reflecting on their early dating period, the Tigers’ linebacker dropped an interesting update. 

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“When we started dating, none of us would have ever thought that he’d be the head coach at LSU, never in a million years,” Weeks said. “It is kind of weird seeing him in the building, in the head coach’s office. I’m like, ‘This dude is just my girlfriend’s dad, and now he’s the head coach of LSU. ‘Wow!’”

The linebacker has already won his girlfriend’s dad’s heart. Meanwhile, Weeks is now caught in the crossroads- to jump to the NFL or not to jump. He has picked up the NFL chatter long before the 2025 season pulled up the curtains. 

Back in May 2025, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had projected Weeks as the No. 25 overall pick to the Washington Commanders for the 2026 NFL Draft. Months later, and on the brink of making a big decision, what is Weeks’ plan?

“I wish I knew, I really do wish I knew. I’m trying to figure that out right now,” Weeks said. 

Kiffin seems ready to roll with Whit Weeks, and his trusted mentor, Blake Baker, is back in Baton Rouge. Still, what reasons might lead Weeks to shut the door on a 2026 return?