Louisiana Seasoning: Will Campbell, Kayshon Boutte aboard Patriots’ Super Bowl train
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
During a recent recruiting trip to Westgate High School in New Iberia, LSU football coach Lane Kiffin couldn’t stop talking about it.
Six years ago, in a driving rainstorm, Kiffin took his Ole Miss team to a less than raucous LSU’s Tiger Stadium that was reduced to a crowd of 21,905 because of COVID restrictions. The homestanding Tigers were 5-4 and playing out the season, a year removed from an undefeated national championship season.
A pair of freshmen – quarterback Max Johnson and wide receiver Kayshon Boutte – stole the show, combining for a Southeastern Conference record passing day and leading LSU to a 53-48 victory.
Despite the conditions, Boutte finished with a conference-record 14 catches for 308 of Johnson’s 435 yards and three touchdowns, a performance that still resonated when Kiffin, now the coach at LSU, visited Boutte’s high school to meet with his coach, Ryan Antoine.
“He (Kiffin) said they couldn’t stop him,” Antoine said. “He just wants to compete. It doesn’t matter the situation.”
Westgate’s been a fruitful stop for college coaches on the recruiting trail, and Kiffin’s first tour through the state included a trip to the New Iberia school, where Boutte’s name is the topic of conversation.
Boutte is one of three graduates of high schools in Louisiana, joining offensive lineman Will Campbell of Neville, as part of the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots for this week’s big game. A third member of the organization, defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy of University High, is on injured reserve and unable to travel.
Roy, a former standout at LSU, is a three-year member of the NFL and was in his second season with New England. A former fifth-round selection of the Minnesota Vikings, Roy recorded 25 tackles and two sacks in 18 games and suffered a Jones fracture during preseason camp this season, and was placed on IR.
New England (14-3) faces Seattle (14-3) in Sunday’s Super Bowl LX at 5:30 p.m. at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. The game will be broadcast by FOX Sports.
“I’m sure this is something that’s always been a dream of his,” said former Neville coach Jeff Tannehill, who coached Campbell and is now the defensive coordinator of back-to-back Division III non-select state champion Sterlington. “I’m sure he’s going to do everything he can to make sure they win a Super Bowl ring. You’re never going to see him nervous. It’s something he’s worked for since he was probably 10-11 years old.”
Antoine, who’s sent three other players to the NFL, will enjoy watching Boutte become the school’s first Super Bowl participant.
“I’m super excited,” he said. “He’s a great kid that’s always worked hard, did the things that he was supposed to do. Knowing things that he’s been through, he’s handled adversity. I’m so proud of him. He’s seen the fruits of his labor with how hard that he worked, and to where he is now is a testimony to him and his upbringing. Everyone’s got their own journey, and to see where he is on his path, and the adversity he’s been able to handle, makes you feel so proud of him.”
Neville High’s first Super Bowl-winning player, Lawrence Anderson, helped the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 35-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII. Anderson was part of back-to-back Super Bowl champions, helping the Steelers to a 31-19 win over the L.A. Rams with a Super Bowl record with five kickoff returns for 162 yards.
The Neville community will be cheering on Campbell and New England, which is in search of its NFL record seventh Super Bowl trophy. The Patriots last won the title in 2019 with a 13-3 win over the Rams in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIII – the last of 11 appearances in the big game for the organization.
Seattle is making its fourth trip to the Super Bowl, winning Super Bowl XLVIII over Denver (43-8). The Seahawks lost to the Patriots the following season (28-24) in Super Bowl XLIX.
“It always seemed like he was always in the right place at the right time,” Tannehill said of Campbell. “He did things exactly how you were supposed to do it by the book. He’s a student of the game. He learned something new every day. He tries to get better at this craft.”
Tannehill believed former West Monroe All-American Andrew Whitworth, who went on to star at LSU and win a Super Bowl with the L.A. Rams, was the standard for aspiring offensive linemen in Northeast Louisiana.
“I always compared Will to him, and he was the only one in my mind that was close to Whitworth that I’d ever seen before,” he said. “That’s what made me think he had a shot at it, of being in the pros and starting at left tackle.”
Campbell, whose father Brian “Bull” Campbell played at East Texas A&M, experienced the kind of growth spurt between the seventh and eighth grade that made him a candidate for early playing time at Neville.
By the end of that first season, Campbell, now a 6-6, 319-pounder, was in the starting lineup and never left.
“He was an extremely mature kid that worked hard,” Tannehill said. “That comes from his mom (Holly) and dad. He’s always handled his business like he was supposed to.”
Even as a sophomore, Campbell stood above his teammates as a leadership standout and was also beginning to tower over the competition. He became a constant at left tackle, leading to a decorated career that made him a five-star recruit with endless options.
“His body matured and was able to handle the physicality on a varsity football team as a ninth grader,” Tannehill said. “That’s how much bigger he was than everybody else. He wasn’t overgrown and couldn’t move. He was flexible, did things the older kids couldn’t do. He was great to work with and made me look like a good coach. Nothing surprised me at how good or how far he’ll go with the way he goes about handling his business.”
Tannehill, a head coach at LaSalle and St. Frederick, had a lineage of NFL-bound players at Neville, such as Rashad Lawrence (Arizona Cardinals), Kavonte Turpin (Dallas Cowboys), Max Mitchell (New York Jets), and Phidarian Mathis (Washington Commanders).
Campbell chose to stay home and, just like Whitworth, signed with LSU. He started in all 38 games during his career, allowing just five sacks in three years, and was a two-time All-America selection, a first-team All-SEC selection, and earned Freshman All-America status.
Campbell, 22, was the fourth overall draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, where New England took an offensive lineman in the first round for the first time in 51 years. He was also the first offensive lineman from LSU selected in the first round in 37 years since Pittsburgh took Alan Faneca.
“He’s handled it just like everyone thought he would,” Tannehill said. “He’s a professional, yet still a homegrown boy. He still comes home for holidays and sees everyone. He’s just one of the guys. I text him after a game, telling him what a great game he had, and he’ll say, ‘Thanks, coach, I appreciate it. He remembers where he comes from. He’ll never be anything but that kind of guy.”
Campbell has taken care of the blindside of right-handed New England quarterback Drake Maye, who has passed for 4,394 yards and 31 TDs. He’s also been sacked 47 times for 201 yards.
Campbell, who was placed on IR on Nov. 26 with a Grade 3 MCL sprain, has made 13 starts for an offense that’s averaged 28.8 points and 379 yards per game.
“He’s a rookie against Pro Bowlers, that’s a tough job as it is, and he’s playing left tackle on top of that,” Tannehill said. “He’s going to get it right; he’s not going to back down. You may get him a time or two, but he’s not going to back down. He just works extremely hard at getting better, and he learns from every mistake he makes.”
“He still likes to come back and deer and duck hunt,” Tannehill said. “That will never get old. He’s going to come back. He’s always been a humble person, and I figure will always be that kind of guy.”
Boutte will forever hold a special place in Antoine’s heart.
Westgate had gone 0-10 the year before Boutte’s arrival. The Tigers made three straight state playoff appearances and two years after Boutte’s graduation, winning the school’s first state title in 2021 with a 14-3 victory over Warren Easton.
“Him coming to Westgate helped make us a competitive program and to be where we are today,” said Antoine, the school’s head coach since 2013. “He was part of that freshman class that came in and had to play early and did some great things. He also helped a lot of other guys get recognition (eight players went on to play in college). He opened doors by bringing that light back to Westgate.
“Since he left, we’ve competed for championships, sent guys to top-level schools,” Antoine said. “He helped bridge that gap. He didn’t have to come to Westgate. He took the chance and helped our school into prominence, like it is now.”
Boutte was a track-first athlete and won the Class 4A state championship in the 400 as a freshman. He had plenty of tools to work with, Antoine said.
“He played football because he was the ultimate competitor,” he said. “Once he learned and worked his way in with the guys running routes, he ended up being one of the top sophomores. He continued to keep on growing, turned into an All-American.”
Antoine took advantage of Boutte’s game-breaking talent. He handed the ball to him from the backfield and motioned him to carry the ball on speed sweeps, and of course, got him the ball downfield as a receiver. That play-making role was expanded to special teams, where he was a dangerous return man.
Boutte was a two-time, first-team selection on the Class 4A All-State his final two seasons. He caught 44 passes for 674 yards and eight touchdowns in 2018 and followed that with 47 catches for 1,005 yards and 15 TDs. He added 874 rushing yards and 12 TDs in his final season.
Westgate had also won four straight district titles in track. The Tigers’ 4×200 relay team shone brightly on the big stage, winning a national indoor meet in Houston, conquering IMG, with Boutte, a part of that unit.
“Every year we saw him grow,” Antoine said. “At first, he was just a speed guy. This was his sophomore year, he burst on the scene and had a 300-yard receiving game against Captain Shreve. We knew we had something special. His junior year, he was more versatile. He played in the secondary his senior year, and that’s when he started to become that leader.”
Boutte was a highly coveted prospect who signed with LSU, which had a run of standout receivers such as Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Terrace Marshall from its national title team. He became an immediate starter for coach Ed Orgeron and was a starter in 21 of the 27 games he played for the Tigers.
Boutte finished with 131 catches for 1,782 yards and 16 touchdowns, but that rainy night in Baton Rouge, where he set a conference record for catches and yards, remains his high-water mark in college.
“He always had dreams of being a first-round pick,” Antoine said.
Antoine was there to help catch Boutte when he fell from grace.
During LSU’s sixth game of the 2021 season, Boutte, who led the nation in receiving touchdowns, was attempting to make a catch near the sideline of a game at Kentucky.
The result was a broken ankle, the end of the season, and plenty of uncertainty for Boutte, who had sustained the first significant injury of his career.
“He had played games since the age of 5,” Antoine said. “He was on pace to win the Biletnikoff Award (nation’s top wide receiver) as a sophomore.”
Boutte’s season was over with 38 catches for 509 yards and 9 TDs; the latter statistics still led the team without playing the final seven games of the season.
The arrival of Brian Kelly ushered in an era that featured quarterback Jayden Daniels, a future Heisman Trophy winner, and a wide-open offense under offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock. The Tigers had future first-round draft choice Malik Nabers as the team’s No. 1 receiver and Boutte, who missed three games, with 48 catches for 538 yards and 2 TDs.
LSU (10-4) won the SEC’s Western Division against Georgia, where Boutte had six catches for a team-high 107 yards and a touchdown from backup quarterback Garrett Nussmeir. The Tigers took part in the Citrus Bowl against Purdue which Boutte didn’t participate.
Boutte was battling internal demons, which he disclosed in the Jan. 7 edition of the Players’ Tribune. He acknowledged having a gambling problem, a habit he took up during a state of depression brought on by his injury that cost him most of his sophomore year.
Boutte said he estimated losing $90,000, but he was also falling out of favor with NFL teams that were starting to red flag his off-the-field behavior.
“He left here a five-star and had put up big numbers and did really well at LSU,” Antoine said. “He had never really been hurt like that. That takes a toll on your mental health. Going into the (NFL) combine, he really wasn’t healthy.”
Boutte’s draft stock tumbled, and he was a sixth-round pick of New England, where he was inactive for 12 games but managed two catches for 19 yards. He was then arrested in January 2024 for underage gambling at LSU, where he was placed in handcuffs before charges were dropped six months later.
“He was part of that first NIL (wave) where you’re getting money,” Antoine said. “He was a college kid that was injured with a boatload of money, and he’s trying to figure out what to do with it, and he found a hobby. That went sideways for him. Situations happen. He figured it out and fixed it.”
Months after informing New England front office personnel that he didn’t want to play anymore, the Patriots remained committed to Boutte.
“I almost walked away from the game,” Boutte wrote in his account of the Players’ Tribune.
Antoine found Boutte to be extremely forthcoming in the Players’ Tribune article entitled: How The Hell Did I Get Here???
“He was real transparent,” he said. “He let them know to be smart about it because these are the results from it. Don’t lose the game. Don’t lose your passion by doing other things. It was revealing and I hope that it helped someone that’s possibly going through that.”
The birth of a son during Boutte’s junior season was another pivotal moment that provided him with a sense of purpose, Antoine said.
“His parents and other people talked to him,” Antoine said. “He came by (the school) after the gambling stuff came out. You saw the maturity then. Sometimes you’ve got to go through stuff. He wasn’t happy about being a low draft pick. His first couple of years with the Patriots, he still wasn’t really healthy.
“You’re seeing that he’s healthy,” Antoine said. “He’s taken care of his body and stayed grounded after having a son. He’s gotten more focused as part of a great organization. The Patriots have been great for him. They allowed him to grow. They could have turned their back on him. Now you’re starting to see the fruits of their labor. He’s become a weapon for those guys and a contributor.”
Boutte started in 13 of 15 games in his second season in 2024, showing signs of the player who had captivated fans in Louisiana. His 43 receptions for 589 yards and three touchdowns were an example of his true ability.
The Patriots made a change at head coach and brought in former standout Mike Vrabel this season, and the Patriots have experienced sweeping success, reminiscent of the days of coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady were a part of the team’s six Super Bowl triumphs.
During a homecoming against the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 12, Boutte had five catches for 93 yards and three TDs in a 35-19 victory.
The 5-11, 197-pound Boutte, who had his first 100-yard game (7 catches, 117 yards) against Buffalo last season, caught his first professional touchdown from Maye in the second quarter of an Oct. 13th game with Houston.
It wouldn’t be the last time Boutte had a memorable moment against the Texans.
Boutte finished the regular season with 33 catches on 46 targets with 551 yards and six touchdowns, ranking fifth on the team in receptions.
With New England hosting Houston in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs, the Patriots were up 21-16 early in the fourth quarter and driving for a potential game-sealing score.
Maye faced a third-and-five from the Texans’ 32 when he dropped back and found Boutte with a step on Pro Bowl cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., a former teammate at LSU.
Boutte began extending his right hand at the goal line, and Maye delivered a perfect pass to Boutte’s fingertips in a driving snowstorm. He secured the 32-yard touchdown with 13 minutes to play, accounting for the final outcome of a 28-16 victory.
“When he comes back, the kids are excited about it,” Antoine said. “What he’s doing for the kids is allowing them to dream. He’s a kid that sat in the same desk as them, walked the same hallways, and put on the same pads or played on the same field. That’s big for our community.”