Talented Freshman Texas Longhorns WR to Enter NCAA Transfer Portal

The Texas Longhorns are losing another talented player to roster attrition.

According to reports from Inside Texas, former four-star athlete and dynamic playmaker Aaron Butler, who was a redshirt freshman this past season, has elected to enter his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Butler, who hails from Calibassis, CA picked the Horns over pursuit from Arizona and the Longhorns' 2023 College Football Playoff semi-final opponent, the Washington Huskies.

According to the On3 Industry Ranking, he ranked as the No. 179 player in the country, the No. 7 athlete in the nation, and the No. 16 player in California.

The Calabasas product opted not to finish out his senior high school season after an injury and instead focused on preparing to enroll early. In just four games before he opted out in 2023, Butler had 28 catches for 586 yards and five touchdowns, per MaxPreps. In 11 games in 2022, Butler had 38 catches for 830 yards and 13 touchdowns.

What Texas wanted out of Aaron Butler

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Aaron Butler against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

At the time of his signing, Butler was looked at as a two-way candidate, but the Longhorns elected to start him at wide receiver, with the idea that he would play a similar role to former Texas great, Xavier Worthy.

“Sark is an amazing coach,” Butler told 247Sports. “I look at his track record, and he’s a great offensive mind, and everywhere he has been, he has had success with receivers that were my size and playing style. I see what he did with the Falcons and then at Bama. A lot of those guys are similar to me in terms of how they play so it was really easy for me to see how I would be used in his offense... They see me being similar to Xavier Worthy in terms of our frame and playing style,” Butler said. “I’ll be able to add weight when I get there and should be in the 180-pound range by the fall.

Obviously, that never worked out to the level Texas envisioned.

In two seasons with the Longhorns, Butler appeared in four games, seeing action against Florida in 2024 and then playing against San Jose State, UTEP, and Sam Houston in 2025. He earned the first catch of his college career against the Bearkats, with one reception for 17 yards.

Unfortunately, that would be his only catch for Texas, as he would not appear again for the rest of thhe season.

Butler should have three years of eligibility remaining at his next destination.