By: Chad Wilson – Editor – GridironStuds Blog
Twitter: @GridironStuds
Go West young man they say. There’s gold out there. Well I don’t know about gold but 2017 Wesley Butler has certainly found a home at Mater Dei high school after moving from South Florida this past summer.
After spending his time learning the ropes in front of talented athletes at the former Florida 3A State Champs University School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Butler took his lessons and applied them judiciously in 2014. Butler plays that new hybrid position that many defenses crave. It’s that outside linebacker spot where a guy can either put his hand on the ground and rush the passer like a mad man or stand up and make the offense guess what he’s going to do. Clay Matthews was the poster boy for the position before moving inside this season. Florida Gators’ Dante Fowler is another strong model for that hybrid linebacker spot. Butler is the young high school version of this key defensive position. You will see him come off the edge and enter the backfield like an uninvited house guest. There are clips of him doing Terry Tate office linebacker type stuff as he takes quarterbacks and running backs to the turf with violence. Butler has a nice blend of size and speed typically found in Florida bred athletes. His development at Mater Dei has been exponential and should lead to high dividends for the Monarchs. Quarterback high school could be getting rather defensive in the near future.
Mater Dei is a perennial power in Southern California prep football and it’s because they get players like Butler to perform at a high level. One look at Butler’s film and you can see that he is playing to the max. Offenses have to account for him but even when they do, the results are the same as Butler puts a kink in the play design and turns 1st and 10 into a future punting situation. The sophomore defender is certainly going to be one to keep an eye on for the next two seasons as Mater Dei battles with the likes of Serra, John Bosco, Corona Centennial and the other heavyweights in California’s Pac-5 division. As the high tempo Southern California gridiron action is taking place in 2015, this Butler will be dressed and ready to serve.
Watch Wesley Butler Sophomore Year Highlights – Click Here
Chad Wilson is a college football recruiting expert and creator of the GridironStudsApp which allows high school football players to gain exposure to college football coaches and fans. Wilson is a former college football player for the University of Miami (92-94) and Long Beach St. (’90-’91) and played briefly for the Seattle Seahawks (’95). He is also a former youth and high school football coach for over 15 years most recently for 5-A State of Florida Champs American Heritage. He runs All Eyes DB Camp a defensive back training company located in South Florida IG: @alleyesdbcamp. Wilson’s oldest son Quincy plays in the NFL for the New York Giants and his younger son plays cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals.
