SEC takes notice: Ole Miss enters the race for rising 2028 LB Ryquan Butler
OXFORD, Miss. — There are prospects who collect camp invites, and then there are prospects who leave camps with entire staffs remembering their name. Ryquan Butler has become the second kind.
The rising 2028 linebacker out of Loachapoka High School (Alabama) has quietly turned one of the strongest offseason camp runs in the South into a great deal of momentum. Stop after stop, Butler’s combination of length, athleticism, versatility, and presence has become impossible to ignore. Coaches have noticed, recruiters have noticed, and now the SEC has officially stepped into the picture.
After an impressive performance at camp in Oxford, Ole Miss extended an offer to the 6-foot-3, 205-pound defender, joining what appears to be an increasingly competitive chase for one of Alabama’s emerging defensive prospects.
Great workout with @OleMissFB thanks @JoshTucker_19 for having me !! @coachbhall76 @D_Harris7 @PlottCordell pic.twitter.com/dvj1bCKbqR
— Ryquan Butler (@butler_ryquan) June 20, 2026
For Butler, the offer represented more than another logo on a graphic.
“It means they see a future in me within their program. But also it means I have to hold myself to a different standard.”
Ryquan Butler
That answer reveals something important about Butler’s approach. At an age when recruiting can become consumed by rankings, social media buzz, and attention, Butler sounds focused on something different—growth.
He isn’t searching for the loudest pitch or the biggest promise. Rather, he is searching for development.
“I’m looking for a school that will develop me mentally and physically, making me a better athlete but also a great young man. I’m also looking for the real—not sugar-coated dreams.”
Ryquan Butler
That mindset could ultimately separate him as much as his physical traits.
On the field, Butler projects as the type of modern linebacker programs across the SEC are prioritizing. He has enough range to play sideline to sideline against the run, enough athletic ability to hold up in coverage, and enough explosiveness to become disruptive when attacking downhill.
His own scouting report reflects that versatility.
“I’m very versatile. I can play sideline to sideline, defend the run and play in coverage. I’m also a threat when blitzing off the edge or through the A and B gaps.”
Ryquan Butler when asked to scout himself
That profile explains why his camp performances have generated attention.
Today’s college game demands linebackers who can erase space, cover athletes, pressure quarterbacks, and remain physical inside the box. Butler checks multiple boxes early, and his frame suggests there is still significant development ahead.
Even as schools continue to enter the picture, Butler is keeping perspective.
“Yes, there are a few schools that are standing out, but I don’t want to make a comment on that yet because I still have a lot of football to play and a lot of work to do.”
Ryquan Butler
That answer may tell the story better than any offer list. The recruiting world moves fast. Butler doesn’t appear interested in rushing it.
For now, the focus remains the same—to keep working, keep developing, and let the opportunities continue to follow. Ole Miss got in the hunt. The rest of the SEC appears to be watching.
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
Lee Ann serves as the Director of Recruiting for The Rebel Walk. She sees college football the way championship programs do—from inside the personnel room. Every evaluation, every roster move, every recruiting battle tells a bigger story about identity, culture, and how a program is built to win in December, not just July.
With more than 15 years covering the SEC and the national recruiting landscape, Herring-Olvedo has built a reputation as one of the sport’s most respected personnel-driven voices—blending film evaluation, roster construction, and long-term program vision through a true front-office lens. Her coverage of powerhouse brands like Ole Miss Rebels and Kentucky Wildcatshas consistently gone beyond headlines, focusing instead on the blueprint behind winning programs: development, fit, culture, and recruiting strategy.
That foundation was formed early at Brown University, where she worked in player personnel and recruiting while competing as a student-athlete. Inside those recruiting operations rooms, she learned how elite organizations are truly built—through relentless evaluation, relationship building, projection, and trust in the board. Those experiences shaped the way she studies the game today: part scout, part storyteller, part architect.
Her analysis and reporting have appeared across major platforms including ESPN, NFL coverage spaces, USA Today Sports, and Saturday Down South. She also brought her personnel-minded approach to the airwaves as an on-air analyst for the Wake Up 502 College Football Show on Big X Sports Radio 96.1, where she became known for combining film-room detail with a wider understanding of roster identity and program trajectory.
In 2025, covering the rise of Houston Cougars football under Willie Fritz reignited the part of the sport that first drew her into football—the culture, the edge, the belief that a roster can reshape an entire city. That inspiration led to the launch of Coogs 365 Sports, a platform built to cover Houston athletics through a true scouting and recruiting lens while connecting the emotion of the game to the heartbeat of H-Town.
Now, Herring-Olvedo returns to The Rebel Walk where with an even deeper perspective shaped by years inside recruiting circles, national SEC coverage, and hands-on evaluation experience. Her return brings a familiar voice back to Ole Miss coverage—but with an evolved lens rooted in roster architecture, player development, and the modern realities of building championship-caliber football in the NIL and portal era.
For Herring-Olvedo, recruiting has never been about stars beside a name. It is about identifying competitors, projecting growth, and building a locker room capable of sustaining success. Her philosophy mirrors the best front offices in football: stack traits, trust culture, and never stop building.
