Pivotal Spring Visits on Deck for Top Oregon WR Target Aaron Butler
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The Oregon Ducks already hold verbal commitments from two of the top wide receivers in the country with Tyseer Denmark and Jordan Anderson in the 2024 class.
But they're hungry for more, which is why they're pursuing Calabasas (Calif.) wide receiver Aaron Butler.
The 6-foot, 168-pound playmaker is working from a top five that consists of Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Oregon and Washington, which he released in February.
With a refined group of finalists to focus on he spoke about the latest in his recruitment and what's next.
"I'm going to Colorado this weekend and Alabama on the 24th," Butler told Ducks Digest. "We got Oregon April 3."
Those three trips will be important as they'll help him get a feel for where each of those schools are at before scheduling his official visits.
"We'll go see those three and we'll see when I want to take these official visits. I think I'm going out to Georgia on April 14th. That'll be an official."
The plan is for each of Butler's finalists to receive an official visit, and he has an idea of when he'd like to have those trips wrapped up.
"I think I might scatter it out a bit but that first one's gonna come in April. I'll finish them up by around June."
With Colorado as the next trip, let's take a look at the Buffs.
Deion Sanders played with Butler's father on the Baltimore Ravens and the opportunity to play for a Hall of Famer is intriguing.
"Obviously having a coach like Coach Prime, it speaks volumes when you have a gold jacket hall of famer as your head coach," he said. "There's only one of those in college football. A coach who's been in your shoes, been in your position, been a highly-recruited player out of high school.
"As far as the culture, they have a program that's turned around. It's night and day. They have a very competitive culture. They're hungry. I know I'd be in great hands with Deion Sanders. Colorado has definitely done a great job at recruiting me. That's the strongest connection I have with a staff as far as talking to coaches every day."
Alabama will get the next unofficial visit after Colorado and Butler spoke on his interest in the Crimson Tide.
"I would definitely start with the coaching staff. Winning is regular, winning is second nature. Winning is expected, it's a culture. I like the coaching staff, the mindset they have, type of pressure they put on you. Being out there with those other competitors, those dog five-stars.
"What they've done with receivers obviously draws me to the school like Jameson Williams, DeVonta Smith. I'm excited to sit down with Tommy Reese, have a good conversation with him."
Butler trains with Alabama wide receiver and former Calabasas standout Jermaine Burton and has seen his game evolve in the one year he's been in Tuscaloosa.
Dan Lanning and the Ducks are coming off a 10-win season in his debut as head coach. Even with a small body of work Butler sees a lot of potential in Eugene.
"I see a tremendous amount of potential off the field and on the field," Butler said. "That'd be a move where I could go and I could be the biggest name that's ever came through Oregon since De'Anthony Thomas but times two because I know it's gonna happen in my NFL career. He was a good player in the league too.
He sees the vision Oregon is laying out of him teaming up with five-star 2023 wide receiver Jurrion Dickey.
"Me being able to play with Jurrion Dickey, lining me up with Dickey out there. It's a lot of potential in that. I see a Pac-12 championship for sure over there. I see me and Dickey being the best duo in college football. Great connection with Coach Lanning as well. I love coach Lanning as a person, as a coach as well."
Looking at the other two schools in his top five, Georgia may have the lead as we head into the back half of march.
"It's similar to Alabama. But I'll say right now Georgia--they're in an era. Where it's the Bulldog nation it's go dogs and (they) got a lot of motion and a lot of pull due to the coaching staff, the way they are.
"The culture over there--it'd be easy for a kid like me to fit in. With a dog coach like Coach B-Mac, it's going to get intense in practice every day. I've lived in Atlanta before so I love the area. Love the South. Love the food. It feels like being home. Winning is expected every time."
Rounding out the top five is the Washington Huskies, who weren't shy about being an air-raid offense.
"They had two receivers over 1,000 yards. The proof is in the pudding. It speaks for itself they're gonna air the rock out. It wasn't a one year thing. I've seen multiple players in these dudes' systems and programs well over 1,000 yards and going first round. Those systems, they're air raid. That's gonna create Biletnikoff opportunity and many opportunities off the field."
Butler was thinking about making his college commitment this spring. Then he was thinking about committing before his senior season.
But now he'll reevaluate his timeline after returning from his upcoming visits.
"I'm gonna go see all these schools before I set these officials," he said. "And then after I go see all three I'll have an idea going into these officials."
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