BATON ROUGE – LSU football announced the signing of Nebraska edger rusher Jimari Butler from the transfer portal this weekend.
Butler officially signed with the Tigers on Saturday. The former Cornhusker was a highly sought after player in the transfer portal and Brian Kelly and his coaching staff were able to close the deal to land one of the better transfers.
An All-Big Ten honorable mention honoree during his time at Nebraska, Butler was one of the top defensive linemen for Matt Rhule’s defense, recording 75 tackles, including 17 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks across three seasons in Lincoln.
Butler was at Nebraska for five total seasons, including the COVID year and a redshirt season. He has one year of eligibility left.
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Why DE Jimari Butler picked LSU from transfer portal
LSU lost its top two defensive ends, Bradyn Swinson and Sai’vion Jones, to graduation and there was a defection to the transfer portal from Da’Shawn Womack following the end of the regular season.
Butler, who has played three-plus years of college football, will immediately be the most-experienced end on the roster when he officially joins LSU soon. Kelly and defensive coordinator Blake Baker needed to find some transfers who could see the field immediately and Butler fits that mold.
How Jimari Butler will fit with LSU football’s roster
As it stands, the Tigers have four freshmen and one junior in Princeton Malbrue, who is sidelined with a knee injury right now, at the defensive end position. Butler was one of the main portal targets for LSU and his experience and production are the biggest reasons why.
Butler being a senior and having played high-level football will be a benefit from the younger guys like freshman Gabriel Reliford in that room.
LSU football transfer targets
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WR Nic Anderson (Oklahoma)
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TE Zach Atkins (Northwest Missouri State)
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DE Will Heldt (Purdue)
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DE Williams Nwaneri (MIssouri)
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DE Kameron Olds (Kent State)
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S Zechariah Poyser (Jacksonville State)
When does transfer portal close?
The NCAA transfer portal open Dec. 9 and will close Saturday, Dec. 28.
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Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Jimari Butler transfer portal: How LSU football landed him
