Brian Kelly keeps key player at LSU for 2023 season
By John Buhler
With Kayshon Boutte returning for his senior season, this is absolutely fantastic news for Brian Kelly’s LSU program heading into 2023.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly must be ecstatic over Kayshon Boutte deciding to return to the Tigers.
Boutte has had an up and down college career up to this point in Baton Rouge. The talent has always been there, but consistency and injuries have slowed him down a bit. Regardless, Boutte has the chance to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Frankly, he would have been a top-100 pick in this spring’s draft had he declared. His stock could soar if LSU has terrific 2023 season.
Boutte betting on himself to finally put it all together next year has LSU trending up big time now.
Here is Boutte’s message about his decision to return to school for his senior year in Baton Rouge.
He believes in Kelly’s coaching staff and feels the Bayou Tigers can contend for a national title.
Kayshon Boutte will be a part of Brian Kelly’s LSU family for one more season
In Kelly’s first year at LSU, the Tigers beat rivals Ole Miss and Alabama to win the SEC West division title. Although Georgia put up a 50 burger on them in the SEC Championship Game last Saturday, for the Bayou Bengals to even get to Atlanta in year one under Kelly is such an incredible accomplishment. Keep in mind that the Tigers lost in Week 1 vs. Florida State over in New Orleans.
Besides improving his potential draft stock and possibly contending for a national championship next year, Boutte might have a ton of fun playing in this offense. Depending on what Jayden Daniels wants to do after this season, it could be another year where they could work on their passing game chemistry. If Daniels turns pro, we all saw how well Garrett Nussmeier can sling it.
Either way, LSU is not going to be at a quarterbacking deficiency next year, as the Tigers are in good hands with Daniels potentially coming back, or Nussmeier taking over the reins of the offense. More importantly, programs like LSU tend to pop in year two when they have the right head coach. Well, the Tigers won the division in what many people thought was a rebuilding year.
Factor in Kelly and his staff having another year to recruit, as well as another one to theoretically flip the roster by way of the transfer portal, and we might be looking at a team who could realistically make the next College Football Playoff. I mean, the Bayou Bengals were in the mix this year until Thanksgiving Weekend’s horrible loss on the road vs. rival Texas A&M in College Station.
By returning to LSU for his senior season, Boutte has a chance to bring home all of the hardware.
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