LSU's Whit Weeks to Keep No. 40 Jersey as Lane Kiffin Takes Charge in 2026

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There will be plenty that looks different around LSU football in 2026, starting with Lane Kiffin running the show in Baton Rouge. But one familiar sight isn’t going anywhere.

LSU revealed Wednesday that veteran linebacker Whit Weeks will continue wearing No. 40 for the Tigers this season. The program included Weeks in its latest jersey-number announcement alongside tight end Trey’Dez Green, adding the message, “The Legacy Continues.”

It might seem like a small detail in the middle of preseason preparations, but Weeks and No. 40 have become a familiar combination for LSU fans. After an injury-plagued 2025 season, the bigger news is that Weeks is back for his senior year and expected to be at full strength as Kiffin begins his first season with the Tigers.

Whit Weeks Will Keep No. 40 at LSU

LSU made the announcement on its official social media account Wednesday.

“The Legacy Continues,” LSU Football wrote while tagging Weeks and Green.

For Weeks, it means another season wearing the No. 40 jersey he has made his own during three years in Baton Rouge.

The 6-foot-3, 226-pound linebacker enters 2026 with 205 career tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 32 games. He has started 22 times, and LSU has gone 17-5 in those games.

That record helps show just how valuable Weeks has been when healthy.

Unfortunately for LSU, keeping him on the field became an issue last season.

Weeks started all eight games he appeared in during 2025 but missed five because of a lower-leg injury. LSU went 6-2 with Weeks in the starting lineup and 1-4 without him.

Weeks Has Chance to Reestablish Himself in 2026

Weeks has already shown what he can do over a full season.

His breakout came in 2024, when he earned first-team All-SEC honors after finishing with 125 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. His tackle total ranked second in the SEC and ninth nationally.

Weeks also produced some of his best performances in LSU’s biggest games.

He recorded a career-high 18 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble in an overtime victory over Ole Miss. He later had 17 tackles against Alabama and another 17 against Oklahoma.

Now the goal is simply to stay healthy and get back to being that player.

LSU’s official roster says Weeks will be back at full strength for the 2026 season. That’s significant for a Tigers defense entering a new era under Kiffin.

There are going to be changes at LSU this fall. Weeks remaining in No. 40 is one thing Tigers fans won’t have to get used to.

Related: SEC Responds to LSU’s Lane Kiffin NFL-to-College Recruiting Moves

Related: Lane Kiffin Sends Defiant Message Over LSU’s Pursuit of NFL Rookies

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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