Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
On Sunday we learned that Devin Butler would be suspended indefinitely after being arrested early on Saturday morning. Irish fans were probably wondering what Brian Kelly was waiting for by suspending Butler indefinitely, but he was probably just waiting to see what charges Butler would face. On Tuesday we learned those charges.
Butler’s future at Notre Dame just became a little more clear on Tuesday as the St.Joseph County prosecutors formally charged him with two felonies, one count of resisting law enforcement, the other count of battery of a police officer. Each charge is a level 6 felony, which if he’s convicted could face up to two and half years in prison.
This likely means the end of Butler’s time at Notre Dame. Paul Browne, Notre Dame VP of public affairs and communications, released a statement on Saturday after the news of Butler and the Fulton Five broke that said any Notre Dame student arrested on a felony charge faces dismissal from the university.
Butler played three seasons for the Irish. He played in 32 games and started in three. For his career he tallied 39 tackles in one interception. He never really made an impact on the field in his three seasons playing behind the likes of KeiVarae Russell and Cole Luke. Butler broke his foot during Fiesta Bowl prep last season and refractured it at the beginning of summer, so he wasn’t expected to be back until October at the earliest.
Assuming Butler is dismissed from the university, the Irish won’t be losing much on the field since the corner position is one that is suddenly loaded. The couple of things they will lose is depth and experience. Even though they won’t lose much on the field, it’s still definitely not a good look for the football program or the university.
Make sure to check back with One Foot Down as we’ll be bound to learn about the futures of Te’von Coney, Dexter Williams, Kevin Stepherson and Ashton White in the coming weeks.