Brian Kelly explains why Kayshon Boutte has struggled to start the season

Kayshon Boutte has not had the start to the season that he expected. As one of the top NFL prospects at wide receiver, he has struggled to find his footing through LSU’s first five games. While Brian Kelly realizes that, he understands where it’s stemming from and knows it won’t affect his star wideout down the road.

Kelly broke down Boutte’s early slump during media on Monday. He said part of it is still some wrinkles he needs to iron out with Jayden Daniels but that he appreciates how hard Boutte works for the team and how much he enjoys the wins.

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“Part of this is building trust with a new quarterback. Obviously we’re trying to get him the football. He’s getting a lot of double coverage,” said Kelly. “We’re still winning and he’s happy that we’re winning…He was happy we won the football game. Would he like the ball more? Absolutely. But he’s handled himself in the right way and he continues to work for the team.”

Boutte has caught just 11 passes this season for 97 yards and no touchdowns so far. He had his worst game of the season this weekend against Auburn with just one catch for four yards. Still, Kelly isn’t worried about Boutte’s future. He says scouts won’t care about the numbers as much as the things Boutte has still been doing even amidst the adversity..

“All those guys that make decisions about who the best receivers are in the country are still going to look at Kayshon and go, ‘That’s a really, really good wide receiver.’ Numbers are numbers. At the end of the day, he’s going to continue to play this game at the next level and the numbers won’t dictate where he gets drafted. It’s his ability to continue to play the game at the highest level,” said Kelly. “When you turn on the film, he’s running full speed, he’s beating the guys, and the ball didn’t come to him for whatever reason. That’s out of his control. So what Kayshon continues to do better each and every week is he controls what he can control. He does that in practice now and he does that in games.”

Boutte will still be one of the first wide receivers off the board in the NFL Draft whenever he declares. He’d surely like to have a better statistical season, but the Tigers also sit at 4-1 to start the year. As long as he continues to play hard and impact winning, his slower pace won’t matter to decision-makers. LSU will still be able to have a great season and Boutte will still have his shot at the pros.