LSU may not be receiving a ton of hype heading into the first season under head coach Brian Kelly, but it returns an intriguing roster that could be better than many are giving it credit for.
One player whose abilities no one doubts is Kayshon Boutte, the junior receiver who was off to an incredible start in 2021 before a broken ankle ended his campaign after six games. Boutte is back and, if healthy, is expected to be one of the nation’s top pass-catchers.
Pro Football Focus agrees, naming Boutte as a preseason First Team All-American alongside Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba and USC’s Jordan Addison. All three players are seen as likely first-round picks in the 2023 NFL draft.
Boutte is the only LSU player among the First, Second and Third Teams, but one other Tigers player did crack the honorable mention list: cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse, a transfer from Oklahoma State who many expect to be one of the SEC’s top defensive backs after a successful stint with a Cowboys defense that was one of the nation’s best last fall.
An interesting absence is edge rusher BJ Ojulari, who was named to the preseason All-SEC First Team by the media but doesn’t appear on any of PFF’s lists.
Regardless, LSU has an intriguing veteran core on the roster, and despite all the departures during the offseason, Kelly has done a fantastic job of replenishing the roster. Returning star players like Boutte certainly helps, and he brought in a talented transfer class that features Bernard-Converse and several other likely starters.
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