Five former LSU football players to watch this NFL preseason

No. 2 – Kayshon Boutte

Team: New England Patriots

Position: Wide Receiver

Depth Chart: RWR – 2nd

Kayshon Boutte looked like a future NFL superstar as a freshman at LSU football. He capitalized on the receiver void that resulted from Ja’Marr Chase and Terrance Marshall opting to sit out the 2020 college football season. Among Boutte’s freshman year highlights was setting a single-game SEC record for receiving yards with 308 against Ole Miss.

However, today, we’re not sure Kayshon Boutte will make New England’s 53-man roster. Some reports from Patriots’ camp indicate Boutte is excelling, while others report the opposite.

Injuries and off-the-field shenanigans have gotten the better of Boutte. LSU football fans will recall that the receiver was off to another fast start in 2021 before an ankle injury derailed the rest of the season.

Things looked up for Boutte under the first year of Brian Kelly, but he rarely appeared fully healthy. Indeed, the confidence and burst the receiver enjoyed as a freshman was gone. As such, Boutte posted a meager 48 receptions for 538 yards and two touchdowns in 2022.

Boutte had planned to return to LSU football for a much-needed fourth season. However, Kelly announced Boutte would not appear in the Tigers’ bowl game and headed for the NFL Draft instead.

The announcement was odd and sudden, followed by social media buzz that inappropriate contact with an LSU staff member was the culprit. Such rumors remain unfounded. Either way, Boutte fell to the sixth round of the NFL Draft.

Boutte’s abysmal NFL Combine showing contributed to his draft plummet. However, he’s arguably with the best organization, considering the Patriots’ no-nonsense approach to professional football.

We are hoping Bill Belichick will get the 21-year-old’s mind and body in the right place.