Larry Butler III, All-American?

Here’s the picture –  you’re 6’1, weighing in at 237, and run a 4.72 40-yard dash (all -per 247Sports). You were a JUCO all-American at Eastern Arizona, and you garner interest from some schools in both the PAC 12 and SEC, among others. Where do you sign? How about Division II Southern Nazarene? With no disrespect to the Crimson Storm, why would someone with such promise drop to a significantly lower division with a possible Sunday job on the line?

Butler was originally going to sign with Tennessee out of junior college way back in December 2012, but fell foul of the SEC’s 3-semester rule. Instead, he signed with New Mexico State and participated in spring camp, but a problem with his transcript rendered him ineligible. Butler strongly considered going to UAB, but decided to drop to D2 so he could play for 2 years and enter the 2016 draft, as opposed to just 1 year in D1.

What does Butler bring to the table at NSU? He’s strong enough to take on linemen while playing on the inside, but fast enough to stuff the run and cover tight ends on the outside. If that’s not versatile enough for you, he can drop into a 3-point stance and rush the passer off the end. Butler was expected to push for early playing time in the FBS, and has SEC potential – he should dominate in the Sooner Athletic Conference, and should be a shoo-in as an all-American at the end of the season.