LSU WR Kayshon Burkete makes a change of heart days before Citrus Bowl and declares for the NFL draft

Kayshon Boutte isn’t staying at LSU for the 2023 season after all.

The large receiver announced after the regular season That he would be returning to college football for another season.

“LSU has been nothing but amazing to me,” Boutte wrote in his initial statement. “My growth under the new staff has helped me to reach new levels. We didn’t reach the final goal but we persevered and got results that will help us move forward. Our goal is to win the LSU national championship. That will not change. We made great strides but fell short this year. That is why I believe we can accomplish many things moving forward.”

But LSU announced Wednesday that Boutte wouldn’t play in the Jan. 2 Citrus Bowl against Purdue while also saying he was enrolled at LSU for the spring semester. No reason was given for Boutte’s sudden absence from the game until later in the day when he said that he was heading to the NFL and declaring for the draft.

Boutte’s initial decision to stay in college was a bit of a surprise, as is his reversal just days before the bowl game. Though he didn’t put up eye-popping statistics in 2022, he could be taken in the first three rounds of the draft.

Boutte’s sophomore year in 2021 was his best season. Although he played in six games, he caught 38 passes for 509 yards and nine touchdowns. He had previously recorded 45 catches and 735 yard in his first 10 games.

His stats plummeted in 2022 with 48 receptions across 11 games, 538 yards, and two touchdowns.

Boutte joins WR Jaray Jenkins, edge rusher BJ Ojulari and CF Mekhi Garner as LSU players who won’t play against Purdue and will prep for the draft. Purdue, meanwhile, won’t have starting QB Aidan O’Connell, top TE Payne Durham and leading receiver Charlie Jones.