Since Kayshon entered college in 2020, he has been a major part of the LSU passing attack. His dynamic play making ability has definitely opened many eyes of scouts and at one point he was ranked as the top of all college football receivers. This analysis will detail Bouette’s tools that propelled him to the forefront of college football. 

Player Information:

Name: Kayshon Bouette

School: LSU

Position: Wide Receiver

Jersey #: #7

Alignment/Scheme: Slot, X

Games Watched: vs FSU, vs Ole Miss, vs Bama, vs Ole Miss (2021)

Major Factors: # Notes:

Grading Scale:       9 - Special  8 - All-Pro  7.5 - Pro Bowler  7 - Good Starter  6.5 - Avg. Starter  6 - Good Backup  5.5 - Role Player  5 - Developmental

Personal/Behavior: ?  No Major Developments Reported 

Athletic Ability: 7 Athletically, Boutte can get it down from anywhere on the field. He is a receiver with a Runningback build. He is a stocky player weighing about 205 lbs at 6 feet. He can run well after the catch and consistently breaks tackles. 

He is fast, but not blazing. He has no issues creating separation from defensive backs.  He is very balanced and twitchy. 

Strength & Explosion: 7.5 Very physical football player. He is aggressive in blocking and he has a knack for shedding tackles once the ball is in his hands. He is built low to the ground with a good center of gravity. (10.9 in 100-yard dash)

Competes: 7 Very competitive. He is not a tall receiver, but he will go up and track the ball. Works to keep the ball out of his body. Stalk block expert. He gets under pads and maintains good leverage. Works to finish the block. In a run-heavy offense at LSU, Boutte seems to enjoy blocking. 

Production: 6 Very productive over his time at LSU. In his freshman season, he brought in 5 touchdowns with a 300-yard and 3-touchdown game against Ole Miss (2020).  In 2021 before a season-ending injury, in 6 games he scored 9 touchdowns. 2022 has not been his best season of production, but he has contributed greatly to a winning LSU team with a new QB. 

Mental/Learning: 7 As a three-year starter, he has fulfilled his role as a WR at LSU. Has had no mentions of an inability to learn a playbook or fit in a scheme. In 2022, his numbers have decreased and he still contributes on a weekly basis to the modified LSU scheme. 

Injury History: 6 Suffered a season-ending ankle injury his sophomore year. (Played 6 games)

Player Summary:

Report: 6’0’’ 205 lbs Out of New Iberia, Louisiana, Boutte has been an integral part of the LSU offense since 2020. A year after the 2019 National Championship, Boutte came into the lineup to replace the lost production of Jamar Chase and Justin Jefferson. He immediately made a name for himself. 

Boutte does not impress me as a true wide receiver, however, he is a great athlete at the receiver position. His physicality and motor allow him to do almost anything he wants at receiver. Similar to Antonio Gibson (WAS), he is very dynamic with the ball in his hands. 

Hands: His hands are very sure. He works to keep the ball out of his body and does not drop many easy balls. When making contested catches, he occasionally will have them knocked away which can contribute to his shorter frame. 

Route Running: Not as refined a route runner as Jefferson or Chase, but he is very serviceable and with his ability to create separation on vertical balls, he can get open. The point of emphasis for Boutte would surely be his route running. It can also be speculated that his route running ability has decreased since injuring his ankle in 2021, which would greatly affect his ability to plant. 

Agility/Quickness: He has above average quickness. He is quicker with the ball in his hands than in running his routes. Very accomplished in the screen game because he will put his foot in the ground fast and get North. 

Blocking: He is very physical and willing to do the dirty work. Does not shy away from any blocker and will make contact before the defenders. 

Catch Radius: Superb radius for his body type. He is not lengthy, but he can jump for balls located in his vicinity. Will go through the defenders body to make catches. 

Size: Not amazing size for the position, but like many of the league's top receivers, they have smaller frames with very good catch radius and explosion.

Pro Comparison: Antonio Gibson

Round/Grade: Late 2nd-3nd Round

ITH Writer/COO

-By: LeMarkus Bailey

LSU football has gone through some changes in the past year. The Tigers have been dealing with losing their head coach and losing players to the transfers portal and the draft. However, in time LSU will be a top-ranked team in the SEC. They did end their season with a 6-7 record, finishing last in their conference. But with a new head coach and new young players they have a chance to turn things around.

The Tigers will not be starting their season off with Coach Orgeron as part of the team. Their new head coach, Brain Kelly, is coming from Notre Dame and will now be coaching the Tigers, preparing the team for the season, and recruiting new talent. Getting their hands on 4-star safety Maurice Willams and linebacker Xavier Atkins to really build up that defense. Then on the offense side, they landed 4-star tight end Tayvion Galloway. Not only did they get them some new recruits they also got them some new transfers. They got cornerbacks Jarrick Bernard, Greg Brooks, wide receiver Devonte Lee and Quarterback Jayden Daniels just to name a few. 

However, they do still have problems to deal with. They lost players to the draft, one of those players was one of the best players in the draft and college football, Derek Stringly. He went 3rd overall to the Huston Texans. He was not the only top LSU prospect that got drafted, O-lineman Ed Ingram went 59th overall to the Minnesota Vikings. That is just a start, the transfer portal has been a blessing and a curse for the Tigers and college football because players will just leave every few months. But even if they overcome that, they still must get used to Brain Kelly’s playing and coaching style.

This was also the best timing for Brain Kelly to become the new head coach because most, if not all, of the 2019 team are gone. However, he does have fresh players and a more manageable schedule to work with. Having a new coach means they will have a new playing style that can benefit them in having a solid season. This upcoming season the Tigers will have a healthy roster. Last year they did have some injuries which also cost them a few wins. But now it is a new year with a new and healthier roster.  

Now with all of that being said, the Tigers will not have a crazy good year, but it will be a solid one. I have LSU going 8-4 with them losing to Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi, and Arkansas. This will just be the start, but LSU is on the come-up and will get them another National Championship sooner than later.  

Writer

 -By: Zervante White

Peach Bowl Recap: LSU Tigers Torches the Sooners

There were a lot of questions surrounding how Oklahoma, the only playoff team with a loss, would fare against top-ranked LSU. Safe to say it did not go well. Joe Burrow, this year’s Heisman winner and the presumed top pick in the upcoming NFL draft, dominated an overmatched Sooners defense with 493 yards and 7 touchdowns. The game was never really close after the first quarter, and Ed Orgeron’s squad made it clear why they are ranked #1.

The game seemed promising at first, with LSU getting a stop and scoring but then allowing Oklahoma to respond with a long CeeDee Lamb reception that led to a two-yard Kennedy Brooks touchdown run. But that’s where the good for Oklahoma ended, as LSU scored two touchdowns before the quarter ended. 

But it was in the second quarter that things really unraveled. In the first drive of the quarter, Oklahoma lost safety Brendan Radley-Hiles when he delivered a vicious targeting penalty to Clyde Edwards-Helaire and was ejected from the game. The Tigers responded by burning Radley-Hiles’ replacement, Woodi Washington, for a Justin Jefferson touchdown to extend their lead to 21 points. Feeling the game starting to slip away, Lincoln Riley called a trick play that resulted in an interception, allowing Burrow to drive down the field again and score despite two separate 15-yard penalties. This pushed the gap to 28 points. Oklahoma was then able to muster a touchdown, but LSU answered with yet another two and had reached a mind-boggling 49 points by halftime to Oklahoma’s 14.

Most of the second half was a mere formality, with the only question of real interest being how many points LSU would end up scoring. They drained the clock and missed a field goal, but were able to score two touchdowns before the clock hit zero.

Overall this was a tremendous accomplishment for LSU, who had never even reached the playoff before this year. They have an opportunity to go and win their first title in twelve years, potentially kicking off a changing of the guard in the SEC and the national picture. As ESPN pointed out, Joe Burrow set the bowl record for total touchdowns with eight, seven in the first half. For Oklahoma, this represents yet another disappointing playoff trip, and the question could be asked whether the Sooners will ever really get to the top after four playoff appearances in the last five years without a win. 

The Tigers will meet Clemson in the National Championship on January 13th. 

Stats according to ESPN.com

-By: Alex Spieldenner

Writer/Interviewer