Whit Weeks may have just seen his older brother transfer from Virginia to LSU after an impressive freshman season, but the coveted three-star linebacker from Georgia is separating the possibility of playing with him from going through his own recruiting process. The junior at Oconee County High School in Watkinsville, Ga., continued a busy January with a visit to Tennessee for its junior day on Saturday. Weeks said after the visit that he enjoyed the opportunity to continue building his relationship with linebackers coach
Brian Jean-Mary and head coach
Josh Heupel and is considering the Vols for one of his official visits.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Weeks, whose father David was a three-year starter and All-SEC offensive lineman at Georgia in the 1990s (and accompanied him for Saturday's visit) and whose brother
Westjust transferred to LSU, made his third trip to Tennessee in the past year. After getting an offer from the Vols in May, he attended one of their camps in June. Weeks also visited for Tennessee's home game against South Alabama in November.
Weeks, whose offer list includes Georgia, Oklahoma, LSU, Miami, South Carolina, Stanford, Southern California, Virginia Tech, NC State and more, said he was looking to spend more time with the coaching staff and some of Tennessee's current players on this visit.
“I really enjoyed it,” Weeks said. “I really like the coaches here and I thought the facilities already were nice, but they showed us the video of the $40 million project that they’re about to start doing, and that’s the nicest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Weeks said he talks with Tennessee defensive analyst
Chad Creamer about once a week and with Jean-Mary on FaceTime “as much as I can.” Tennessee's linebackers coach stopped by Weeks's school earlier in the week ahead of his visit as well. Weeks said he's gotten to know Jean-Mary “pretty well” and likes his personality.
“I really like Coach BJ a lot and Coach Creamer,” Weeks said. “They’re the two that have been recruiting me, and I really like them. … A little bit their personality and I really think Coach BJ’s a good football coach and he can develop me into the best football player I could be.”
Weeks also enjoyed the chance to meet with Heupel.
“Really about just the team they’re trying to build and how he wants good characters in the locker room to have a chance to go win championships with good guys,” he said of the head coach’s message to him.
Saturday's visit included tours and photos, but also time when Weeks could sit down with the staff and “talk a little bit of ball, which I like.” He said he likes how Tennessee's defense plays and how he fits into it. Weeks posted a 12.21-second 100 time and high-jumped 5 feet, 6 inches as a sophomore after recording 78 tackles, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries while also playing offense in 2020.
“They like I can cover the field well, run sideline to sideline and make havoc plays, tackles for loss and stuff like that,” Week said.
“From what I can see, it’s a super-aggressive defense, and that’s what I like. Playing downhill, flying to the ball, making sacks, making tackles for loss. They send lots of blitzes, which I like that a lot.”
Weeks was at Georgia last weekend and received an offer from the Bulldogs while on campus. He said he plans to visit Oklahoma next weekend. After the dead period in February, Weeks is planning to go to Stanford along with Georgia and LSU, where his brother just transferred and which offered him earlier this month.
“I can go be my own football player,” he said. “Of course we (talked growing up about playing together in college), we did, and that would be awesome if I go down to Baton Rouge and fall in love with it. But if I don’t, I don’t.”
Weeks said he would like to have a decision made and his recruitment wrapped up before his senior season, setting “maybe late July” as a tentative timeline for a decision after he takes his official visits in the spring and summer.
After Saturday’s visit, Weeks has interest in potentially using one of those visits to return to Tennessee.
“We’ve already talked about getting back up here, maybe on an official visit,” he said. “I think those open up in April, so maybe in May or June getting back up here for an official. I only get five officials. Wherever I can take those, those will be my top five schools.”
Weeks added: “I really like the area. It’s not far from home. It’s only about four hours from home, which to me is the perfect distance. It’s not too far, not too close, and really just the coaching staff. I like Coach Heupel, I like Coach BJ, all those guys.”
