Former LSU Tigers Star Kayshon Boutte Is Finally Having His Moment With the Patriots

Few better stories are happening in sports right now than what is happening with former LSU Tigers star wide receiver Kayshon Boutte and the New England Patriots.

Boutte was the No. 187 overall pick in the 2023  draft by the Patriots. This, just years after he was projected to be the new Ja’Marr Chase for the Tigers. The eventual, obvious candidate for the No. 7 jersey eventual did take over the honor, only to have the worst year of his career,

The Westgate alum has always had the talent. That was never in question. He was a five-star recruit next to Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba,

He had 14 catches for 308 yards and three touchdowns against the Ole Miss Rebels in a conference game. No matter the opponent, that doesn’t happen by accident.

It was years of injury troubles and effort concerns that followed Boutte throughout his final two years of college. He and Brian Kelly bumping heads certainly didn’t seem to solve any issues that arose after Ed Orgeron departed.

Boutte’s future in Baton Rouge with Kelly looked murky enough for him to just declare for the NFL despite his down year in 2022. He then went on to post an average at best combine, to further murky the waters for those interested in taking him.

With just so much raw talent, though, New England decided to draft him on Day 3, in the sixth round.

He didn’t get much opportunity as a rookie, but stuck around on the roster. He finally caught his first NFL touchdown during week six of 2024. Over the first 12 weeks of that season, though, he still had just 22 catches for 289 yards and that score.

He had earned a “starting role” in the offense, but his production did not reflect that.

Over the last couple of weeks, he started to show more flashes of that old LSU potential. He had 21 catches for 300 yards and two scores over the final five weeks of the season.

During the last game of the year, he hauled in seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown.

It was the perfect way to end his second NFL season, until a few weeks later when he was involved in an online gambling investigation. It took until July, but all charges against him were dropped.

Rather than letting yet another setback keep him down, Boutte had the best fall camp of his NFL career and now looks poised to fully break out despite the offense adding Stefon Diggs.

Boutte had six catches for 103 yards in the season debut. He was asked to block less than last year and allowed to just go out there and get the ball.

"I think people fail to realize that at one point in time, I was a first-round pick, just before my surgery. I think a lot of people doubt that I can do what I do, but I mean, I always knew what I could do," said the former LSU standout, per Doug Kyed of Boston Herald. 

If he can continue carrying that confidence and production, people will be quick to forget that he wasn’t actually a first round pick. 

It will take some continued effort, but Boutte may have finally arrived.