LSU FOOTBALL 2022 PREVIEW: THE TRANSFER LINEBACKERS

The season-opener for LSU football is still months away, but it’s not too early to get to know the team.

Whether you love it, hate it, or feel indifferent about it, the transfer portal is a big part of the contemporary college football landscape.

New LSU head football coach Brian Kelly knows that winning and winning now is important. So while he put together (and hung on to) a solid 2022 recruiting class that ranks 12th nationally and 4th in the SEC per 247Sports, he also hit the transfer portal and hit it hard.

In fact, if I had to guess, I’d say that we may not see Kelly utilize the transfer portal this much ever again.

All told, Kelly and LSU football have collected 14 transfers (along with 15 recruits who have signed letters of intent). The transfers include seven defensive players, five offensive players, and two specialists (a punter and a long snapper).

Among defensive transfers, there are two cornerbacks, two safeties, a defensive lineman, and two linebackers.

Here’s a deep dive into LSU football’s two transfer linebackers as Death Valley Voice previews the 2022 season.

*All player position assignments and recruiting grades are as transfers per 247Sports.

LSU FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE TRANSFERS FOR 2022: LINEBACKERS

West Weeks (Virginia) – 3 Stars (0.88)

Weeks is listed as an “athlete” by 247Sports, but he played linebacker at UVA, so I am assuming he will play a similar role for LSU.

As a freshman last season at UVA, Weeks played in 10 games, collected 31 tackles (15 solo), one sack, defended five passes, and recovered a fumble.

Weeks’ lone sack of the season came in the season finale against rival VA Tech.

After barely logging any stats through his first four games of the season, he really started producing in mid-October.

He played some special teams, covering kicks; however, per Pro Football Focus, he primarily played in the box on the left and right sides, although he occasionally would step up to the defensive line.

Weeks appears to be good at dropping back in coverage but sometimes struggles against the run. Per Pro Football Focus, he missed four tackles last season (10.5% of his attempted tackles).

Weeks will probably be a nice depth piece for LSU football this season, but he has the potential to grow into a larger role as his career continues.

Kolbe Fields (South Carolina) – 3 Stars (0.86)

Fields, a New Orleans native who played outside linebacker at Archbishop Rummel,  redshirted as a freshman last season at South Carolina. While he appeared in four games, all of his playing time came on special teams, in both kick coverage and kick return.

The highlight of Fields’ 2022 season came during the Gamecocks’ 40-17 thrashing of the Florida Gators in the form of a solo tackle, his only statistic logged all season.

Fields is a developmental player who will most likely contribute on special teams this season while providing added depth for a veteran linebacking room.