Jimari Butler returns to Nebraska after brief portal stay

On Wednesday, Jimari Butler announced he had entered his name in the transfer portal as he was looking for another opportunity elsewhere.

Not even 48 hours later, on Friday morning, Butler had a change of heart and took to social media to announce he was taking his name out of the transfer portal and returning to Nebraska:

This is rather large news for a Husker defense that could use Butler's services. While Butler is light on playing experience, he's high on potential. After not playing at all in his first year on campus, 2020, Butler played in just three games his second season, 2021. But Butler appeared in all 12 contests in 2022 and recorded nine tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Perhaps Nebraska's new defensive coordinator had something to do with Butler returning to Lincoln. According to a report from ESPN's Pete Thamel on Thursday afternoon, Tony White will be the Huskers' defensive coordinator. White spent the past three seasons as Dino Babers' DC at Syracuse.

White's use of the 3-3-5 defense, which he learned while coaching under one of godfathers of the scheme in Rocky Long at San Diego State, helped turn around a bad unit at Syracuse into a respectable one after just one season. In 2020, White's first year with the Orange, Syracuse allowed an average of 5.82 yards per play, 75th in the country. In 2021, White chopped that average down to 5.11 (24th). This season, 2022, White's defense got the average lowered again, this time to 4.94, ranking 21st in the country.

Butler seems to be the kind of athlete White looks for in his 3-3-5 scheme. It's a diverse defense, one that uses linebackers in a variety of ways. At 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, Butler has excellent length and, as a former basketball player at Murphy High school in Alabama, is a good athlete for the position, which would allow him to be effective as a blitzer/run defender and in pass coverage.