Kayshon Boutte entered the sixth game of his sophomore season leading the country in receiving touchdowns, on pace to achieve the first thousand-yard season of his college career.
He had effectively picked up where he left off at the conclusion of 2020, where he amassed 500 yards over the last three games of the season after the opt-out of star receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. However, halfway through the 2021 season he faced some adversity. An ankle injury suffered late in LSU’s loss to Kentucky derailed that campaign prematurely.
Between his injury and return to practice, the football program experienced months of turmoil.
The announcement that LSU and then-Head Coach Ed Orgeron were parting ways after the 2021 season occurred a week later. The team would drop three of their next four games and before the regular season had even concluded, the first high-profile player, Eli Ricks, hit the portal.
A week later, Brian Kelly was announced as the new head coach, but that did little to stop the bleeding.
Quarterback Max Johnson, who had quickly built chemistry with Boutte over the 2020 and 2021 seasons, would depart for Texas A&M, and other notable departures began to add up. With talented players leaving the team in bunches, it was rumored that the Tigers’ most high-profile player was soon to follow, with Alabama being the theorized destination for Boutte.
Those rumors would later be proven to hold some merit, as Boutte later confirmed he had considered the possibility of leaving at the conclusion of last season. But he was patient with his decision, opting to hear what the new coaching staff would bring to the table.
It’s safe to say he was satisfied.
“Honestly, I thought about it, I really did,” Boutte said on transferring. “[But] I felt comfortable with what they were coming in and telling us, and I trusted that they would hold themselves to that.”
While the dark cloud of uncertainty engulfing the 2022 season began to evaporate with every hole Kelly and his staff filled, Boutte was still dealing with a lot. He had to acquaint himself with a new coaching staff on top of having limited involvement with the team due to his injury.
The development of Boutte and Kelly’s relationship was slow and steady, and was heavily scrutinized by fans and media. But by summer, the concerns regarding their relationship seemed to be in the past, with the receiver mentioning that they talk everyday in an interview that took place during fall camp.
As Boutte got used to not being involved on the field, he learned to become more involved off of it, developing as a leader throughout the offseason.
“I was engaged fully, knowing that my teammates needed me and my leadership off-the-field even though I’m not doing what they’re doing,” Boutte remarked. “As time went on, I tried to be more vocal to teammates, saying we need to get this done and get this done.”
Fast forward to the start of the 2022 season, and all eyes were on Boutte for his return against Florida State, and Tiger fans expected him to be the electrifying receiver he was in the past right away. But his return was slow, as he totalled just 20 yards on two catches in the season opener.
While he shared the frustration of LSU fans early on, just being back on the field was something Boutte appreciated, and he recognized this as a long-term reacclimation. “I see the things people post and tag me in,” Boutte said. “But I just block out the noise and worry about what I can do to get better.”
Boutte’s productivity remained limited throughout the first month of the season, but his situation coincided with Jayden Daniels adjusting to his new receiver room. In the Tigers’ next three games, Boutte totaled just 77 receiving yards on nine catches.
Along with his limited impact on the field, Boutte sat out against New Mexico to be there with his girlfriend for the birth of their son. Fans were concerned this would further minimize his impact on the field, as taking care of a child is a huge responsibility. However, Boutte saw it as the complete opposite, as something to motivate him to be even better.
“It’s not bad because I don’t really think of it as a bad thing, I think of it as a blessing,” Boutte said. “It’s a blessing to be able to play at LSU, and then just knowing that off the field, I still get to go home to great things.”
He returned against Auburn facing the same problems, with double teams and Daniels’ conservative approach leading to the lowest output of his career.
Because of his situation, Boutte had to revisit an approach that he was forced to use during his injury: putting trust in the receivers around him. He, along with fans, initially expected him to go back to the insane production he put up as a freshman and sophomore, but that was no longer necessary with the talent surrounding him.
While this may not have been what he had in mind originally, it taught him other ways to help the team rather than doing all the work himself.
“It’s not about helping me,” Boutte said. “I feel like it helps the team more, not relying on just one person. I feel like that’s what makes this offense effective.”
He continued to improve as a leader, whether he was leading by example on the field with his route running, or providing the younger receivers with advice and encouragement off it.
And eventually, Boutte’s on-field involvement would begin to grow. In the Tigers’ matchup with Tennessee, Boutte was able to find the end zone for the first time this season, along with achieving his season high in receptions with six. He was named an offensive captain to start the next week as well, furthering his development as a leader.
He carried his newfound momentum into the next game against Florida, bringing in another six catches for a season-high of 115 yards, starting off the performance with a 40-yard catch, his longest of the season. He would also be named an offensive captain for the second straight week, with his goal being to carry on that streak for the rest of the season.
As the Tigers get set to face another top-10 opponent this Saturday in No. 7 Ole Miss, the reemergence of Boutte couldn’t have come at a better time.
