Linebackers Whit Weeks and TJ Dottery, along with tight end Trey'Dez Green, will join LSU head coach Lane Kiffin at SEC Media Days next week in downtown Tampa, Florida.
There's no surprise that Weeks is making the trip for a second straight year. He's one of LSU's unquestioned leaders and the heartbeat of the defense. The three-year starter has recorded 205 career tackles to go along with 16.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.
Dottery is also returning to SEC Media Days for the second consecutive year, although this timehe'll represent LSU instead of Ole Miss. Last season, he attended the event with the Rebels before leading the SEC with 98 tackles while adding 5.5 tackles for loss and helping Ole Miss reach the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Green is also a strong choice to represent the Tigers. The potential first-round NFL Draft pick could be poised for a big season in Kiffin's offense after catching seven touchdown passes last year. In two seasons at LSU, Green has 46 receptions for 534 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The biggest surprise, however, is who won't be in Tampa.
Expected starting quarterback Sam Leavitt was not selected to represent LSU and still has not spoken publicly since transferring from Arizona State.
Leavitt was limited during spring practice while recovering from surgery to repair a Lisfranc foot injury. Although he has been fully cleared, LSU Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette said on Tiger Rag Radio Tuesday night that the school wanted to avoid making Leavitt's injury the primary storyline.
"We think we had a good group to pick from," Bonnette said. "If we had four players to pick from, I'm sure Sam would have been that fourth player.
"While he is fully recovered and doing everything that we thought he would be doing at this point, we felt like, let's protect him. Is all the talk going to be about his injury and recovery and all that?"
Bonnette also noted that neither Joe Burrow nor Jayden Daniels represented LSU at SEC Media Days before their first seasons as the Tigers' starting quarterback, so Leavitt's absence is not unprecedented.
Still, many fans and media members had hoped Leavitt would make the trip, especially considering that nine of the SEC's 16 schools are bringing their starting quarterback to Tampa, including Texas star Arch Manning.
LSU also won't take the stage until the final day of SEC Media Days on July 23 after speaking early in the event the past few years. Bonnette believes the later time slot was intentional, giving the national media another reason to stick around and hear from Kiffin.
As for the local media, they'll have to wait a little longer to hear Leavitt discuss why he chose LSU and what he expects from himself and the Tigers in 2026.
