Kayshon Boutte’s football path has taken plenty of turns, but on Friday night he got a moment that belongs to the kind of career few players ever reach: his high school jersey was retired at Westgate High School in New Iberia.
Boutte’s No. 1 was honored back home during Halloween weekend, according to Tory Trahan, giving the former LSU receiver a celebration that matched the promise he showed long before he reached Baton Rouge. For a player whose career has included big highs, hard lessons and a long climb back, the recognition landed as a fitting milestone.
At Westgate, Boutte was a standout in both football and track and field. As a senior, he scored 12 touchdowns through the air and added 15 more on the ground. That production helped make him the top receiver in the state when he arrived at LSU in 2020, where he was viewed as the next name in a line that included Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Terrace Marshall Jr.
He flashed that kind of ability early. In the final game of his freshman season, Boutte ripped off 14 catches for 308 yards and three touchdowns against Ole Miss. But injuries and off-the-field issues kept his LSU career from fully matching the expectations that came with his arrival.
Those setbacks pushed him to the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft, where the New England Patriots took a chance on him. He later became a useful target for Drake Maye during the Patriots’ 2025 Super Bowl run before being traded to the Houston Texans ahead of the 2026 season for a defensive back and a seventh-round pick.
Now in his fourth year, Boutte has 93 catches for 1,353 yards and nine touchdowns. He has 15 catches for 194 yards with Houston, and the Texans’ bye week gave the team a window to make the jersey retirement happen.
Boutte also spoke earlier this year about gambling issues from his time in Baton Rouge in a January Player's Tribune piece. For LSU fans, that story is part of the full picture of a career that has not gone in a straight line, but still has brought him to this kind of honor at age 24.
The Texans have plenty of competition in their receiver room, and the offense has struggled overall. Boutte is set to be a free agent after this season, but the source of the story makes clear this is not likely the end of his football career.
In Other News...
LSU May Be Weighing A Surprising Lamar Brown Role Change
Lamar Browns Instagram post has added a little intrigue to LSUs roster picture, because the freshman defensive lineman appears to be hinting at a possible move to the offensive line. Brown has mostly been used on the defensive side this season, and his playing time has been limited, which makes any potential shift worth watching as the Tigers continue sorting out where young talent might fit best.
LSU has not officially confirmed any position change, and for now Browns future remains in the realm of possibility rather than announcement. Still, a switch like this would be notable for a player whose early college role has not yet fully settled, and it gives the Tigers another personnel storyline to monitor as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Got A Stunning Title Vote Before Alabama Week
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The timing makes the endorsement even more interesting with Alabama coming in at 6-2 and ranked No. 10 for a matchup that already had plenty riding on it. Saban did flag quarterback Sam Leavitt's turnover issues as a possible obstacle, a reminder that LSU still has questions to answer before any championship talk gets serious. Still, getting that kind of vote of confidence from Saban just before Alabama week adds another layer to a game that was already going to carry plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Faces An Early Recruiting Test In A Battle Fans Will Notice
The early stages of B.J. LaFells recruitment already have a familiar LSU feel to them. The son of former Tigers receiver Brandon LaFell, the 2029 prospect has picked up offers from LSU and Notre Dame, along with other programs, and the Tigers are leaning into a pitch that combines family ties with a long track record of developing NFL receivers.
For LSU, this is the kind of battle fans will notice because it reaches beyond the usual recruiting chatter and into legacy territory. Notre Dame gives him a national alternative with its own appeal, and the process is still just beginning, with coaching relationships and development opportunities likely to matter as much as any school name on the offer sheet. [Read more 🡒]