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

It All Comes Down To This: College Football National Championship Preview 2019

In the coming hours, college football’s 150th season will come to a close with the national championship game in New Orleans, Louisiana. It will be a clash of two undefeated teams, as the third-ranked Clemson Tigers face off with the top-ranked LSU Tigers. Let’s take a look at the last remaining contenders

#3 Clemson

What Happened in the Semifinal: The Tigers began the Fiesta Bowl looking outclassed against the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, but the game turned completely when cornerback Shaun Wade committed a targeting penalty that revived a touchdown drive that otherwise would have been ended by Wade’s sack. Clemson turned a 16 point deficit into a 29-23 victory, creating an instant playoff classic. OSU fans felt that the officials seemed to favor Dabo Swinney’s group, but the defending national champs played hard and took advantage of the opportunities presented them.  Recap

Why They’ll Win: Clemson still has one of the most talented teams in the country, and its defense is statistically far better than LSU’s. Trevor Lawrence remains one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and he’s surrounded by a hyper-talented skill position group. The Tigers could ride a defense that was able to hold OSU to only 23 points to another title while one of the more talented offenses in the country contributes just enough to outlast Joe Burrow and the Tigers. 

Why They’ll Lose: Clemson was totally out-played for a quarter and a half, and things likely would have gotten ugly had that targeting not been called. In fact, it probably would have gotten out of hand anyways if the defense hadn’t stopped three different Ohio State drives in the red zone, stifling the offensive output of the Justin Fields-led offense. If the Tigers start the national championship game like they started the Fiesta Bowl, Joe Burrow and Co. will likely steamroll their orange tiger opponents. 

New Injury Concerns? WR Tee Higgins received an apparent head injury during the Fiesta Bowl, though he returned to the game later. I would expect him to play.

#1 LSU

What Happened in the Semifinal: LSU dominated Oklahoma 63-28, and Joe Burrow easily dispatched a Sooner defense that was out of its league. The oft-criticized Tiger defense showed up as well, holding the top-5 OU offense to a mere 28 points in the blowout and consistently harassing Jalen Hurts into making mistakes. The top team in the country thoroughly looked the part, and orchestrated what felt like the end of Oklahoma’s run of playoff appearances. Recap

Why They’ll Win: This team has looked dominant for the entire season, and the only sweat they broke in the Peach Bowl came from running away with the victory. They contained a great offense for most of the game, and were hardly troubled by a vastly-improved Oklahoma defense. Meanwhile, Clemson spent a good part of their own game looking like they were sneaking out with a victory over a superior opponent. Furthermore, for as good as Trevor Lawrence is, LSU has the Heisman-winner as their quarterback, and Joe Burrow looked utterly unstoppable in the Peach Bowl. Ed Orgeron’s team is operating at its highest level right now, and it’s time for the country’s best team to prove it once and for all.

Why They’ll Lose: LSU hasn’t played a defense like this Clemson team. We’re talking a defense that held an OSU team averaging 46.9 points a game to 23. That is half of their normal output. LSU also doesn’t have nearly the experience that Clemson does. Can we be sure they won’t fold under the pressure of the biggest game of the season? Because we know Clemson won’t fold. 

New Injury Concerns? Nothing New.

My prediction: Clemson has an outside chance, but LSU is the better team. If they play how they should, this probably shouldn’t be close. LSU 35, Clemson 21

All Statistics according to sports-reference.com

-By: Alex Spieldenner

Writer/Interviewer