LSU's Kayshon Boutte, Jack Bech Give First Impressions of Brian Kelly Hire

Originally posted on FanNation LSU Country | By Glen West | Last updated 12/12/21

LSU players have been busy with final exams for much of the week so there hasn't been much time for this team to really catch its breath and think about the new era of LSU football.

But with finals week now out of the way, players will soon start shuffling back into the training facilities to prepare for the Tigers' Jan. 4 Texas Bowl matchup with Kansas State. In separate interviews, a few of the young stars have now had a chance to let the Brian Kelly news digest and are making their opinions felt.

In an interview with KATC reporter Seth Lewis, tight end Jack Bech talked about his early thoughts on the Kelly hire and the immediate change he's already starting to see.

"I love his confidence. He has a lot of confidence in himself and in this team he's about to build," Bech said. "That makes me confident and excited to live out what he's saying and make it come to fruition. I think he has a really good plan in place and a good idea of what the future holds."

Coming off a shortened sophomore season where he caught 38 passes for 509 yards and nine touchdowns Kayshon Boutte is currently recovering from an ankle injury that ended his season. Boutte, who was in New Orleans watching his alma mater Westgate High School win a state championship, gave his first thoughts on the Kelly hire when asked at the Superdome.

"I don't really know him," Boutte told the Daily Advertiser. "I know he's a pretty good coach. I know he wins a lot of games."

Of course for players like Boutte and Bech, who watched receivers coach Mickey Joseph take a job with Nebraska, there are still plenty of questions that need answering. Most importantly is who will be leading the offense under center and who will Kelly bring in as the offensive coordinator and receivers coach.

For Bech, who was recruited by Notre Dame a year ago and holds Kelly in high regard, there's little doubt in his mind the right fits will be brought in so he's been practicing patience.

"All the gaps that need to be filled, he's gonna fill them," Bech said. "Sometimes change is good and you have to be able to adapt. Coach Kelly's gonna bring in the best coaches that he can get so we just gotta trust his process and trust what he's doing and see where he takes us."

There are still many decisions that need to be made and LSU enters a critical period of the 2022 recruiting cycle in just a few days. With the current team starting to report for practice ahead of the Texas Bowl, there's opportunity for Kelly to start leaving his mark with the younger players.

This article first appeared on FanNation LSU Country and was syndicated with permission.

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