LSU football: 1 offensive and 1 defensive player poised to break out in 2021
By John Buhler
If anybody in the SEC is poised to have a bounce-back year, it has to be the LSU football team.
Now two years removed from winning the College Football Playoff, the LSU football program has to yield better than a .500 football team this season.
While the Bayou Bengals did lose a ton of talent in the 2020 NFL Draft, it is not like they have struggled in the recruiting department. This is head coach Ed Orgeron’s specialty, bringing in blue-chip talent from all over the southeastern footprint. Though LSU does not have to win the West this year, the Tigers must be several wins better than a season ago.
Look for these two sophomores to be big reasons for the rebound season coming for the Tigers.
LSU football: 2 breakout stars for the Tigers during the 2021 college season
Kayshon Boutte is the next big-time receiver for LSU
In recent years, LSU has been a pro football factory when it comes to the wide receiver position. While former Tigers like Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry have become stars at the professional level, other players such as Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Terrace Marshall Jr. are looking to make an impact very early in their NFL careers. The next LSU star receiver will be Kayshon Boutte.
Boutte was a five-star recruit out of New Iberia, Louisiana in the 2020 recruiting class. He was the No. 1 player from Louisiana, the No. 2 wide receiver in his class and the No. 24 overall player in the nation. As a true freshman last year, Boutte had 45 catches for 735 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games. Can you even begin to imagine what he can do in a full college season as a sophomore?
With Marshall having turned pro, Boutte will emerge as one of the most important targets for quarterback Myles Brennan to get the ball to. LSU should be better offensively than it was a year ago, as Brennan will be healthier and his presumed backup in Max Johnson got ample starting experience towards the end of the year. Boutte will have his first 1,000-yard season in 2021.
Of course, LSU must have balance on the defensive side of the ball if the Tigers want to win big.