Tennessee football: Ranking every starter from 2020 who returned by performance in 2021
Defensive lineman. Matthew Butler. 4. player. Senior. 839. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
6’4″ 295 pounds
Last year, Matthew Butler was a by-committee starter on the line, occupying the one defensive end spot up front in Jeremy Pruitt’s 3-4 scheme. He moved inside full-time in Tim Banks’ nickel-based 4-3 scheme this past year, and in the process, he easily became one of Tennessee football’s best players on either side of the ball.
Butler’s decision to take advantage of that extra year of eligibility truly paid off, as he finished the season with five sacks, eight and a half tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and 47 tackles, 19 of which were solo. He made a habit of getting a push up front and rushing quarterbacks while also, at the very least, slowing down the run game.
With a regular PFF score of 75.8 on the year, very few players had more productivity than Butler. He is ineligible to come back next year, so he’ll be severely missed. No other defensive lineman had his production this past year for the Vols.
When he played under Jeremy Pruitt, Butler gave us plenty of signs of his potential. However, moving into his new role worked out perfectly, and it’s safe to say this past year was easily a success for him given what he came back to do.