The Texas Longhorns have the opportunity to sign a talented high school recruit when Calabasas, California, wide receiver Aaron Butler choose from his three finalist options on Friday, the last day of the early signing period. Texas is a possibility, since the Longhorns formally extended an offer on Thursday, according to Orangebloods’ Jason Suchomel.
Arizona and Washington are the other two finalists; the Wildcats have the advantage of having hosted the 6’0, 170-pounder for an official visit last weekend before the dead period began.
The Longhorns are trailing behind the Huskies in terms of familiarity because Butler was allowed to visit the school informally ahead of the rivalry game against the Cougars in Seattle. However, Butler told 247Sports that as of less than two weeks ago, Washington likewise didn’t have a wide receiver slot open.
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Nonetheless, Chris Jackson, the wide receivers coach at Texas, has been in communication with Butler lately, even paying him a visit at home.
“My family adores coach Jackson, and we had a terrific house visit with him. The house visit provided an opportunity to meet face-to-face and gain some clarification on the situation there, as we have been communicating more frequently in recent weeks, Butler added.
Although they currently have a number of young receivers, coach Jackson wants to add one more, and I would be that player. We’re waiting to hear from Coach Sark and the staff to see how many players they want from the portal. It’s unclear if there will be another space available for a high school receiver.
Since then, Texas has signed wide receiver Matthew Golden on a transfer from Houston, but hasn’t looked closely at any other wide receivers from the portal. Texas A&M transfer Evan Stewart is linked to USC and Alabama, and Steve Sarkisian’s school isn’t anticipated to pursue the former Longhorn commit.
The fact that Texas is among Butler’s finalists and there isn’t another target listed in the transfer portal indicates that Sarkisian would rather accept high school talents than players via the portal, indicating that the place is still available. Butler is a powerful cornerback who excels in both phases of the game. He is also a dynamic wide receiver who can produce yards after the catch or go vertical in the passing game, making him a perfect fit for Sarkisian’s attack.
The consensus four-star talent, who recommitted from Colorado earlier this month, is on the open market following Early Signing Day. He is listed as the No. 21 wide receiver and the No. 122 prospect nationwide by the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Unfortunately for Texas, Arizona is favored according to the most current predictions from 247Sports, Rivals, and On3, but even though the Longhorns won’t be welcoming Butler for a visit, maybe they can pull off an upset.
