Kayshon Boutte believes injury prevented him from winning Biletnikoff Award

Kayshon Boutte was dominating opponents through six games during the 2021 season. He had 38 receptions for 509 yards and nine touchdowns at the halfway point and was primed for an even better second half. An injury derailed those plans, with Boutte having to have offseason surgery on his ankle.

Personal goals are always part of the game and for every wide receiver, the Biletnikoff Award is the ultimate prize. Before his injury, Boutte was in the running but Pitt‘s Jordan Addison wound up running away with the award.

Boutte thinks had it not been for his injury, his name would be engraved on the trophy, not Addison’s. The LSU wide receiver did add that for the 2022 season, winning the Biletnikoff is one of his top goals.

“I feel like the Biletnikoff is one of my goals,” Boutte said. “But I feel like if I didn’t have my injury last season, I was on pace to win it.”

If you straight up double Boutte’s stats from the 2021 season — giving him a full 12 games — he falls well short of Addison’s 1,593 yards. However, he would have had one more touchdown while going up against SEC competition.

Nonetheless, the two will have another opportunity to battle against one another for the award. Addison ended up transferring out of Pitt, selecting to play for USC in Lincoln Riley’s offense. Boutte said he thought about leaving LSU this offseason but ultimately, decided to stay in Baton Rouge.

Kayshon Boutte discusses decision to stay at LSU

Viewed as the top pass catcher in the SEC, Boutte would have been a major loss for new head coach Brian Kelly. But alas, he decided to stay and will finish his career with the home state Tigers.

Boutte was asked about those rumors on Friday, saying there was some truth behind them. He said there was some “thought” behind leaving LSU but ultimately felt the best move for him as a player was to stay in Baton Rouge.

“I thought about it, I really did,” Boutte said. “There was just a lot going on but I felt like as a player, I felt like it was better for me to stay and overcome this process.”

When asked if the coaching staff played a factor, Boutte said he was trusting everything they were telling him from early on. There seems to be a sense of comfort between the star receiver and LSU heading into the 2022 season.

“I felt comfortable what they were telling us coming in and I trusted they would hold themselves to that,” said Boutte.