’26 DT/OT among the commonwealth’s more coveted prospects
Malik Butler (’26) is a transfer over from Franklin-Simpson. When he first arrived at South Warren, last year as a junior, the Spartans were playing 5A ball and the talented prospect manned the left tackle slot for a right hand dominant QB (Bryce Button, ’25, 2,853-yards passing, 39-TDs passing, 70% completion rate). The Spartans were 12-2 and lost in the semis to a Bowling Green team by three points they had beaten by four during the regular season. Bowling Green won it all in 5A. South Warren has taken its marbles to 6A to see if the sledding might not be a bit easier on the western end of KY at the 6A level. How athletic is Butler? Well, he played some FB at Franklin-Simpson, if that gives you some idea. This guy has Middle Tennessee, EKU, and Alabama State all circling. There is no telling who might jump on board this train before it is all said and done.
HB Lyon, Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”
Bowling Green, KY: We call Kentucky 6A “Big Boy Ball.” There are years where the best football is played in the 6A classification and there are years where it isn’t. Bigger is not better in the bluegrass.
In the KHSAA we have good teams and bad teams. The good teams and the bad teams span all six classifications.
Our upper-crust, small school classes (1A, 2A, and 3A) can play with anyone. Obviously the same may be said about the big boys (4A, 5A, and 6A).
South Warren has shifted to 6A. Winning titles at 4A in 2015 and then at 5A in 2018 and 2021 and finishing 12-2 a year ago losing to the eventual champion by three (3) in the semis (Bowling Green), it isn’t as if the Spartans have been struggling.
It cannot be denied however that 5A is a stronger, perennial classification on the western end of Kentucky (Louisville excluded) than 6A has been in the past. In a weird sort of way, getting away from Bowling Green’s district and classification, to move to 6A may make the sledding easier, at least through the regular season and (at the very least) until reaching the semis.
Regardless of why, the Spartans are now in 6A. Talent like Malik Butler on the roster will make the Spartans a handful for any team to challenge, Louisville be darned!
Simply put, Malik Butler is elite talent along the Spartan front by Kentucky or any other standards. Butler is a guy about whom we have written an earlier feature. That feature is linked, both above and right here.
We called Butler “the real deal” in that prior article written in March of 2024. We’ll stand by that characterization.
Butler is 6’3,” and weighs 270-pounds. Butler clips off 40s in 5.1-seconds and plays anywhere from end to tackle defensively while also playing tackle on offense. We would project Butler to play OL in college.
Butler has really fine length, as his wingspan permits his playing taller than his 6’3″ height would suggest. As a result Butler may play inside in college, at guard or center, or may stay outside at tackle.
Butler is a good enough athlete to do either. Butler’s 3.0-GPA suggests he is smart enough for either too.
Butler has camped at Tennessee State University, Eastern Kentucky University, and Middle Tennessee State University and all three of these programs are salivating at getting him back on campus this coming Fall. Alabama State seems to have interest in Butler too.
Butler can play inside or out along a college offensive line
Friday Night Fletch
Last year, Butler played left tackle for a right-hand dominant QB (Bryce Button), now departed. Schools, particularly schools like South Warren, which throw the ball a good deal like to put their best offensive lineman at left tackle to protect the QB’s blindside.
With Butler at LT, South Warren scored 521-points while rushing for 1,695-yards and throwing for 3,017 in its 14-games. That comes out to a little over 37-points per game while allowing 14.3 (201-points). That is how a team wins 12-games, right there.
While the Spartans lost Button to graduation, Chase Bell is a rising sophomore and is already fielding major college offers for his services. Bethune Cookman, Alabama State, and Maryland have already offered Bell with plenty more programs circling and evaluating with an eye toward “jumping on board.”
So basically, the Spartans don’t look to be fading for those hoping that may be the case. Matter of fact, with the talent Brandon Smith has on his South Warren roster, Butler certainly being foremost among them, it would be foolish to discount this South Warren team coming out of the west in this coming year’s trek through western-Kentucky’s 6A classification.
At least, it looks that way to us. Then again, what the heck do we know?
This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball and KPI Newspaper Group, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
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