Wondering if Kayshon Boutte is all the way back from last season's devastating ankle injury? Apparently, a healthy number of Associated Press top 25 poll voters think so, naming him Monday to the AP's preseason All-America team. Boutte was the Tigers' top receiver in 2021 despite only making it halfway through the season when he hurt his ankle at Kentucky, requiring two surgeries. He also missed spring practice, but most accounts of his presesaon practices have painted him as being all the way back. While we're less than two weeks away from LSU's Sept. 4 opener against Florida State in the Caesars Superdome, all the focus isn't quite on football. LSU held a pre-fall practice news conference with coach Jay Johnson introducing his two new full-time assistant coaches: pitching coach Wes Johnson (no relation) and recruiting coordinator Josh Jordan. Wes Johnson, who shocked baseball by leaving the Minnesota Twins' pitching coach job to come to LSU, described the program in terms Tiger fans will love hearing: "This is the New York Yankees of college baseball." One wonders if he would have left the Yankees for LSU, but I digress. In other baseball news, Jay Johnson talked about what fall practice may hold for returning fifth-year senior Gavin Dugas, as well as how the transfer portal impacted the Tigers' 2023 roster, especially its pitching depth. Back to football one more time. Monday marked 13 days until the 2023 season opener, so here's our book excerpt from "LSU by the Numbers" on its greatest No. 13, former quarterback Tommy Hodson. Check your inbox for daily LSU sports newsletter updates throughout the football season. Until tomorrow ... The Advocate LSU beat team: Scott Rabalais, Wilson Alexander, Leah Vann and Sheldon Mickles |