LSU retires Bert Jones' No. 7 jersey tonight at halftime of LSU vs. Texas in Tiger Stadium. Jones, the school's first All-America quarterback, becomes the fifth LSU football player with a retired jersey, joining Billy Cannon, Tommy Casanova, Jerry Stovall and Charles Alexander. His name and number go up on the south end zone façade with theirs.
It is also LSU's home finale and Senior Night, against No. 6 Texas, with kickoff at 6:49 p.m. CT on ABC. Here is what the retirement means for the No. 7 on the field, every retired jersey in LSU football history, and what both teams are expected to wear.
Quick Answers
- Is LSU retiring Bert Jones' jersey? Yes. LSU announced on July 15 that Jones' No. 7 would be retired on November 14 against Texas. The LSU Athletic Hall of Fame Committee approved it unanimously.
- When is the ceremony? At halftime of LSU vs. Texas, per LSU's game-day schedule.
- Will anyone wear No. 7 at LSU again? Yes. Under LSU's rules, a jersey retired after January 1, 2007 does not take the number out of use. Linebacker Whit Weeks and tight end Trey'Dez Green wear No. 7 in 2026.
- What is LSU's only number nobody can wear? Billy Cannon's No. 20, retired in 1959.
- How many LSU football jerseys are retired? Five after tonight: Cannon (20), Casanova (37), Stovall (21), Alexander (4) and Jones (7).
- What does LSU wear against Texas? The home whites are expected: gold helmet, white jersey, gold pants. That would put Texas in burnt orange.
Who Is Bert Jones?
Bert Jones in the purple No. 7, and today, via @LSUfootball
Bert Jones is from Ruston, Louisiana, which is where the nickname "The Ruston Rifle" comes from. At LSU he went 26-6-1 as the quarterback, led the Tigers to three bowl games and won the 1970 SEC championship.
In 1972 he became the first LSU quarterback to pass for more than 3,000 career yards. LSU lists his career totals at 3,255 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes, both school records at the time. That season he was a first-team All-American, the first LSU quarterback to earn it, and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
The Baltimore Colts took him No. 2 overall in the 1973 NFL Draft. He played 10 NFL seasons, nine with the Colts and one with the Rams, and was the NFL MVP in 1976, when he led Baltimore to an 11-3 regular season. A neck injury ended his career after the 1982 season. He is in the College Football Hall of Fame, the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
When LSU announced the honor, Jones said he was especially glad to be displayed alongside Tommy Casanova, his roommate at LSU.
Does Anyone Wear No. 7 After Tonight? Yes
This is the uniform detail most people will get wrong tonight. LSU is retiring Bert Jones' jersey, not taking No. 7 out of circulation.
LSU's bylaws separate the two. For any jersey retired after January 1, 2007, a current player can still wear that number at the head coach's discretion. Casanova's 37, Stovall's 21, Alexander's 4 and now Jones' 7 all fall under that rule. Only Billy Cannon's No. 20, retired in 1959, can never be worn again in LSU football.
That matters more for 7 than for any other number on the list, because No. 7 is LSU's legacy jersey. The program hands it each year to a playmaker. LSU traces the tradition to Patrick Peterson in 2008, and the list since then is a run of LSU stars: Tyrann Mathieu, Leonard Fournette, DJ Chark, Grant Delpit, Ja'Marr Chase, Derek Stingley Jr., Kayshon Boutte, Will Campbell and Harold Perkins. LSU's own announcement of this year's pair names Jones among the past greats who wore 7.
Trey'Dez Green and Whit Weeks named LSU's 2026 No. 7s on August 26, via @LSUfootball
In 2026, head coach Lane Kiffin gave No. 7 to two players: linebacker Whit Weeks and tight end Trey'Dez Green. So tonight, while Jones' 7 goes up on the façade, LSU's current 7s are the players expected on the field below it.
Every Retired Jersey In LSU Football History
Dates from LSU Athletics' Hall of Fame listing. Cannon's year is when LSU announced the honor.
- Billy Cannon, No. 20. The 1959 Heisman Trophy winner and the only LSU football number permanently out of use.
- Tommy Casanova, No. 37. Retired in 2009, the first under the post-2007 rule that keeps the number available. Jones' roommate at LSU.
- Jerry Stovall, No. 21. Honored in 2018 as a former LSU player and later the Tigers' head coach.
- Charles Alexander, No. 4. The running back was the first in SEC history to pass 4,000 career rushing yards. His jersey was retired at halftime against Florida last season.
- Bert Jones, No. 7. Tonight, at halftime against Texas.
Five retired jerseys in more than a century of LSU football is a short list, and three of the five have come in the last eight years. Jones is the first quarterback on it.
What LSU And Texas Wear Tonight
LSU's game-week graphic for Texas, with the white jersey and gold pants, via @LSUfootball
LSU wears white at home, and it has worn the home whites against every SEC visitor in Tiger Stadium this season, most recently Alabama last week. Neither team has posted its game uniform yet, so this is the expected look, not a confirmed one. LSU's game-week graphic does show a player in the white jersey and gold pants. If LSU stays in white, Texas wears burnt orange on the road instead of its icy whites, one of the only times all season the Longhorns leave Austin in color. The full story of the tradition is in why does LSU wear white at home.
It is the first time Texas has played in Tiger Stadium since 1953. The last meeting, in Austin in 2019, went to LSU, 45-38. We will update this page when either team posts its uniform, and the season is logged on the LSU 2026 uniform schedule and the Texas 2026 uniform schedule.
Our Take
LSU got the hard part right. Retiring the jersey and keeping the number in use is the best version of this honor for a program with a legacy number. Jones' 7 goes on the wall where nobody can miss it, and the jersey still goes to the best playmaker in the building every August. Pulling 7 off the field would have ended a tradition LSU players change numbers to chase. This way Weeks and Green wear the number of the man being honored at halftime, and the next 7 will too.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is LSU retiring Bert Jones' jersey?
Tonight, Saturday, November 14, 2026, at halftime of LSU vs. Texas in Tiger Stadium. LSU announced the honor on July 15.
What number did Bert Jones wear at LSU?
No. 7.
Is LSU's No. 7 retired for good?
No. LSU is retiring Jones' jersey, but under a 2007 bylaw the number can still be worn at the head coach's discretion. Whit Weeks and Trey'Dez Green wear No. 7 in 2026.
What numbers has LSU football retired?
Five jerseys: Billy Cannon's No. 20, Tommy Casanova's No. 37, Jerry Stovall's No. 21, Charles Alexander's No. 4 and, as of tonight, Bert Jones' No. 7. Only No. 20 can never be worn again.
Why is No. 7 special at LSU?
It is LSU's legacy number, given each year to a top playmaker. LSU dates the tradition to Patrick Peterson in 2008. Tyrann Mathieu, Leonard Fournette, Ja'Marr Chase, Derek Stingley Jr. and Will Campbell all wore it.
Who wears No. 7 for LSU in 2026?
Linebacker Whit Weeks and tight end Trey'Dez Green, announced by head coach Lane Kiffin on August 26.
Where are LSU's retired jerseys displayed?
On the façade above the south end zone in Tiger Stadium.
Why is Bert Jones called the Ruston Rifle?
The nickname comes from his hometown, Ruston, Louisiana, where he played high school football.
What did Bert Jones do in the NFL?
The Baltimore Colts drafted him No. 2 overall in 1973. He played 10 seasons, won NFL MVP in 1976 and retired after the 1982 season because of a neck injury.
What is LSU wearing against Texas?
The home whites are expected: gold helmet, white jersey and gold pants. That would put Texas in burnt orange. Neither team had posted its game uniform when this was published.
More LSU And College Football Uniform Coverage
- Why does LSU wear white at home?
- LSU 2026 uniform schedule: every game, every combination
- Texas 2026 uniform schedule
- College Football Week 11 uniforms: Texas at LSU and every Top 25 game
Sources: LSU Athletics, "LSU Athletics to Retire All-America QB Bert Jones' Jersey" (July 15, 2026), "Football Hosts Texas in Home Finale on Saturday in Death Valley" (November 13, 2026), "Football's Green, Whit Weeks to Wear No. 7 in 2026" (August 2026) and the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame retired jersey listing; WAFB (July 15 and August 13, 2026); Saturday Down South; @LSUfootball on X. ColorWay Sports is an independent design site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by LSU, the University of Texas, the Southeastern Conference or the NCAA.
