Chris Jackson’s late bid placed the Longhorns ahead of the competition for the elite pass catcher.
Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian hinted at the possibility of adding another wide receiver at his Early Signing Day press conference on Wednesday. As the early signing period came to an end on Friday, they added Aaron Butler.
Being from Calabasas, California, Butler was largely seen as a West Coast prospect. Prior to the Early Signing Period, he had official visits with the Arizona Wildcats, Colorado Buffaloes, and Georgia Bulldogs. Despite never having hosted Butler for a visit in Austin, the Longhorns and wide receivers coach Chris Jackson put themselves squarely in the running for his talents on the second day of the Early Signing Period by making an official offer.
When he made his announcement on Friday, the Wildcats, Washington Huskies, and Longhorns were his declared finalists. Arizona would host the consensus four-star prospect’s final official visit, while Washington would host him on campus for the regular-season finale rivalry game against Washington State.
With his track speed, top-notch ball skills, and physicality developed from playing on the defensive end of the ball, the 6’0, 170-pound receiver is a dynamic weapon in the passing game. Butler can enter and immediately bring depth and value to Jackson’s wide receiver room as Texas attempts to increase the amount of players in that group. Butler was originally committed to play cornerback for the USC Trojans and later to Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes.
Jackson’s wide receiver class includes three additional high school signees, Houston transfer Matthew Golden, and Butler, who is ranked No. 21 and No. 122 nationwide by 247Sports Composite. Including the two transfers, the Longhorns class of 2023 is ranked third nationally overall with 23 signees.
