Mobile (Ala.) Murphy High outside linebacker prospect
Jimari Butler
arrived in Lincoln as a verbal pledge to Tennessee, but he arrived back home decommitted from the Volunteers.
His player hosts were freshmen defensive backs
Myles Farmer and
Quinton Newsome, and they told him they would be his mentors should he end up at Nebraska.
“Them boys are funny!" Butler told
HuskerOnline.com. "They made me feel like home. I felt like I was at home. Hanging out with the players, seeing their bond and seeing the coaches’ bond was real nice.
"Then you have coach
Scott Frost out there in spring practices running routes and doing drills. It’s great. Nebraska is just like my home here. Everybody is happy. The people at both places are the same. I really liked that.”
Though he did not want to go into the details, Butler requested that his designation as a Tennessee commit be removed from his Rivals profile.
"
I can speak about that, but it's probably not gonna work out," Butler stated about his previous pledge to Tennessee. "I loved the Nebraska fan base. It is wild! It was really great! Nebraska really just entered the top two on my list, along with TCU. It was way more than I expected. I loved the city and I love the fans!"
His mother accompanied him on his trip to Lincoln, and she was highly impressed with Nebraska's academic setup and history.
"It was just me and my mom and she loved it!" Butler shared. "She said that she loved Nebraska. She liked how Myles and Quinton were really respectful and they said that they could mentor me. You know, as a freshman in college and all that type stuff.
"Nebraska goes all-out for their football players academically. They have a lot of one on one tutors and regular study halls, and I was liking that. I like how they operate, honestly. Plus, Adidas is one of my favorite brands and Nebraska is sponsored by them."
Next on tap for Butler will be his last official visit to TCU next weekend, and then coming to a final decision shortly before the December 18 signing period begins.
"I just went on my visit to Nebraska, so this upcoming weekend I will take a visit to Fort Worth to see TCU and give them a shot," Butler said. "I will try to make my decision Tuesday [December 17], the day before signing day. Or I might just wait until signing day and just do it at the table.
"It's mostly going to come down to education. It's more important than football, really. Football is a blessing, but it's not 100% percent guaranteed that I will make it in the pros. I mean, if I do, that's nice. But, if I don't, I've got to have something to fall back on."
Before he left to go back home, Butler and his mother had a visit-closing conversation with head Coach Scott Frost.
"We were talking about me committing, but I have to give TCU a shot first," Butler relayed. "Nebraska and TCU have been in my top schools since they both offered me."
