BREAKING: Kayshon Boutte unavailable for Citrus Bowl
LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte is unavailable for the bowl game and will not play when the Tigers face Purdue on Monday in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, head coach Brian Kelly announced in a release on Wednesday.
Kelly said Boutte is enrolled at LSU for the spring semester. Boutte announced he is returning to Baton Rouge for his senior season earlier this month.
Kelly was asked about his relationship with Boutte after the star announced his return to the Tigers, where he said things are still evolving. The goal between the two remains the same, wanting to win and becoming a champion. While they came close on the field this season, Boutte and Kelly are still working off the field.
“I would say it’s evolving,” Kelly said. “Everybody has evolved in this program. Kayshon is not different than anybody else. Everybody has worked really hard, trying to do the things necessary on a day-to-day basis to be a champion both on and off the field. And that’s the expectation that we have for all of our players, not just Kayshon.”
Kayshon Boutte returning for curtain call in 2023
Boutte began his career at LSU in 2020 as the No. 4 wide receiver and No. 29 overall player in the class according to On3 Consensus. He made an immediate impact his freshman season, catching 45 passes for 735 receiving yards and five touchdowns during his first season with the Tigers.
Through turmoil and turnover for LSU, Boutte still shined bright, amassing 38 catches for 509 receiving yards and nine touchdowns his sophomore season. He rose to become one of the most feared pass catchers in the nation, and someone the defense would be forced to spotlight throughout a game.
That set high expectations for Kayshon Boutte entering his junior season at LSU in 2022, as he was considered one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. He did not disappoint, recording 48 catches for 538 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers won the SEC West.
LSU faces Purdue in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 2. at Noon CT on ABC.
