Tennessee football: Alabama 2020 edge rusher Jimari Butler commits to Vols
Another edge rusher is joining Tennessee football. Mobile, Ala. prospect Jimari Butler committed to the Volunteers Friday afternoon.
Just a few days after losing a top-notch edge rusher in the state to the Auburn Tigers, Tennessee football was able to go into Auburn territory for a consolation prize. The Vols got their own edge rusher from the southern part of the state.
Jimari Butler committed to Rocky Top as part of the Vols’ 2020 class on Friday. A three-star on Rivals, Butler comes out of Murphy High School in Mobile, Ala. He stands at 6’4″ 210 pounds but has no national ranking.
UT won out over the Kansas Jayhawks, Illinois Fighting Illini, Ole Miss Rebels, TCU Horned Frogs, Nebraska Cornhuskers and Maryland Terrapins. Butler announced his commitment to Tennessee football on Twitter.
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The 18th commitment in the Vols’ 2020 class, Butler is the second potential edge rusher in the class. He is listed as a defensive end while four-star Tamarion McDonald out of Whitehaven High School in Memphis is an outside linebacker.
However, both will probably be edge rushers, and that’s a big deal for Jeremy Pruitt. Earlier this week, he lost out on four-star Jay Hardy from Chattanooga. Hardy was listed as a strongside defensive end at 6’5″ 250 pounds and committed to Auburn.
In Butler, Pruitt appears to have found a guy not as immediately ready as Hardy but who could develop into a very good player. He was desperate for another edge rusher to join Tennessee football given the fact that his top edge rusher this year, Darrell Taylor, is a fifth-year senior, and Butler is a solid choice for the future. Here is a look at his highlight reel.
As you can see, he is a speedy edge rusher whose skill is blowing past the outside blocker. He can also run down mobile quarterbacks, which will be a big deal at the next level. Those are the main positives surrounding him.
His size is why he is likely a three-star, though. Pruitt likes bigger guys on the front seven, and that’s a requirement in SEC play. The question for Butler is if he can keep that speed and athleticism while putting on more weight.
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If he can, then Tennessee football got a steal. Chris Rumph and Tee Martin recruited him, and Martin had obvious connections being from Mobile himself. As a result, there is reason to believe in Butler as a commitment. He is a project who needs time to develop, but his potential is real.