Westgate wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, the state’s No. 1 football prospect, signed with the LSU Tigers on Wednesday, wrapping up a suspenseful few days on the recruiting front.

Leading up to signing day, Boutte said he would choose between LSU and Alabama, but said he had actually made his decision a few months ago.

“I’ve been having my mind made up since August,” he said. “Since the beginning of football season, I’ve been knowing where I always wanted to go.”

Recently, Boutte was named the top prospect in Louisiana by Rivals. That designation propelled him to the top spot in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, as well.

“That’s not something I’ve always looked forward to, but I don’t settle,” Boutte said. “I always grind harder to get better, and hopefully one day I’ll be No. 1 in the country.”

As a true freshman next season, Boutte’s goal is to gain 1,000 receiving yards.

“I think Kayshon brings something that a lot of people don’t have and that’s elite speed,” WHS head coach Ryan Antoine said. “He also has great ball skills. Kayshon has evolved into a big-time route runner as well.  

“At first, everything was about how fast he was. He was more of a track guy. Now I think everybody talks about Kayshon as being this big-time football player, and the track thing is on the side. He is an amazing track athlete as well, but he’s worked so much to become a big-time football athlete. He’s a dual-threat guy.”

Boutte handled the recruiting process admirably, phoning the Alabama staff before he signed with LSU.

“He didn’t want to burn any bridges,” Antoine said. “He wanted to call Alabama and talk to the guys that recruited him. He wanted to thank them for recruiting him and wanted to let them know of his choice. He told LSU that he wanted to do everything right by Alabama.”

According to Antoine, Boutte has a great chance to get playing time as a true freshman.

“He brings everything to the table,” the WHS head coach said. “Kayshon is the ultimate competitor. If there’s one thing I can say about him, he’s going to compete.

“It doesn’t matter when or what it is, he’s going to compete in everything he does. That’s one thing no one will have to worry about. Day 1, he’s going there to compete and he won’t stop until he wins.”

Boutte will achieve his lifelong dream in Baton Rouge.

“Kayshon has been LSU since he walked into my office as an eighth-grader,” Antoine said. “That was his goal. His goal was to be an LSU Tiger and those were the things he worked on. We’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to send guys to LSU from this area in Jerald Hawkins and Josh Boutte.

“He wanted to follow that same lineage. When Kayshon got here, we were 0-10, and he led this team to the most wins in school history, a district championship, and a berth in the quarterfinals. He’s arguably the best athlete to come out of New Iberia and definitely the best athlete to play at Westgate High School.”

WHS defensive backs Keydrain Calligan (ULM) and Blayne Delahoussaye (Southeastern Louisiana) also signed Wednesday.

“Keydrain didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school,” Antoine said. “He was more of a basketball guy, and we just kind of convinced to come and try football out. After that, his athleticism took over.

“This area isn’t big on basketball. You have to fit a certain mold to be a Division I basketball player, but with him playing multiple sports, including being a state champion in track, that opened doors for him. Now he can do all three sports. That’s his plan — to play football, basketball and track, and football opened that door for him.”

As a junior, Calligan placed first in the triple jump at the Class 4A state track meet.

Delahoussaye, meanwhile, is a sprinter for Westgate’s track team, which was nationally-ranked last season.

“Blayne is a legacy kid,” Antoine said. “He’s been following Westgate around since he was six or seven years old. He got to grow up watching other guys play and go places. He can tell you everything about Westgate.

“It’s very humbling to see him sign as a Division I football player. He came here about 5-foot-7, 110 lbs, and to see him grow into the type of player at only 17 years old, it’s definitely a sight to see. He’s a two-time first-team all-district player, too.”