Dontavius Butler commits to Pitt
Dontavius Butler, a three-star wide receiver who hails from Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage, announced his commitment to the University of Pittsburgh via Twitter on Sunday afternoon. Butler chose Pitt over offers from North Carolina State, Temple, Toledo, Bowling Green, and others.
"The reason that I chose Pitt is because I really have a family bond with the coaching staff. I feel that they are a perfect fit for the player that I am. The university is also a perfect fit for my major," Butler explained to Panther-Lair following his commitment.
Butler is the 10th commitment in Pitt’s 2017 recruiting class. He will join Bethlehem (Pa.) three-star wide receiver Darian Street as the second pass-catcher in the class, and will also join three-star Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas linebacker Albert Tucker as Pitt’s second commit from the state of Florida. Butler’s commitment will also vault Pitt to the number 50 team in the 2017 recruiting rankings. That position will come with growth potential, as Pitt will be tied for the fewest number of commits in the top 50, giving plenty of room to advance with big targets like Donovan Jeter and Lamont Wade left to announce.
Pitt’s ongoing roll is continuing, as Butler makes the team’s eighth commitment since the start of June and the offseason evaluation period. Butler has yet to visit Pitt’s campus due to some complications for a planned visit over the summer, but informed Panther-Lair.com that he and his mother will be on campus at Pitt soon for an official visit.
"The family bond that I’ve had with Pitt since January separates them,” Butler said. “I know where I can fit on that team and the places that the college can take me, it’s an amazing opportunity. It’s something that I really wouldn’t want to let go by.”
Butler's relationships with the coaches at Pitt are also strong, despite the fact that he has not able to visit to this point in time. Butler said that his area recruiter Tim Salem and future position coach Kevin Sherman are among the coaches he speaks with the most often.
“Me and coach [Tim] Salem, we talk every day and he makes sure I’m alright and stuff. He’ll check in on me to asking how I’m doing with summer workouts, things like that,” Butler said, citing that Salem is among the coaches he has the best relationship with. “Me and coach [Kevin] Sherman, we talk every couple days, just talking and chatting about life and football.”
Analysis: The 6-foot-2, 197-pound prospect stands out in southern Florida for his impressive physical strength and ability to beat defensive backs off of the line of scrimmage, as well as dominating in the run game. Butler has the physical make-up and strength to see early playing time at Pitt due to his willingness for blocking and special teams play. He likely projects as a possession receiver whose ability to shield defensive backs away from the football and get open in short yardage situation will allow him to excel at moving the chains in Pitt’s offense.
Butler previously described himself to Panther-Lair.com as player who would bring heart to the team that he plays for at the college level: “The best thing about me as a player is my heart. My size and my strong hands, too. I can take defensive backs out of the game. I just bring heart to the game, I don’t show any weaknesses, or any fear to anyone on the field,” Butler said. “I’ve got good hands. I’m pretty good at basketball too, so I know how to box out and use my body to shield the ball away from defensive backs.”
Below are a few brief clips of Dontavius Butler in action, courtesy of his Twitter account. You can also follow this link to see Butler's Hudl highlights from the previous season.