CAREER
Established himself as one of the top defensive linemen in the Big 10 at Nebraska before transferring to LSU for his final season … Joined the Tigers in January of 2025 … Appeared in 12 games with 2 starts for LSU … Tallied 24 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks … For career, appeared in 48 games with 18 starts (2 at LSU, 16 at Nebraska) … Had 89 career tackles along with 21.0 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks … Forced 3 fumbles and recovered a fumble … Earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in 2023 … Played for 3 head coaches during his 5 years at Nebraska (Scott Frost, Mickey Joseph and Matt Rhule) … Graduated from Nebraska in December of 2024 with a degree in criminology and criminal justice … Twice named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll … Named to the Brook Berringer Citizenship Team in 2023 and 2024 … Selected to the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team in 2023 and 2024 … Awarded a single-digit uniform number in 2024 which goes to the 10 toughest players on the Nebraska team.
SUPER SENIOR SEASON (2025 at LSU)
Appeared in 12 games with 2 starts in his lone season with the Tigers … Tallied 24 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and 2 sacks … Added 6 quarterback hurries and batted down 2 passes in helping LSU defense rank among the SEC leaders in total defense and scoring defense … Starts came against Louisiana Tech in his Tiger Stadium debut and in the Texas Bowl against Houston … Had season-best 4 tackles in 3 games (at Alabama, at Oklahoma and vs. Houston) … Had 3 tackles, including a pair of sacks totaling 13 yards in losses in win over Western Kentucky … In start vs. Louisiana Tech, tallied 3 tackles and a tackle for a 2-yard loss.
SENIOR SEASON (2024 at Nebraska)
Awarded a single-digit number in a vote of teammates … Wore No. 1 for first 5 games of season before switching back to his old number (No. 10) prior to the Rutgers game … Played in 11 games, starting 10 times … Tallied 22 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks … Had best game of season vs. Ohio State, with a career-high 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack in narrow loss to the Buckeyes … Against Colorado, has a sack, a pair of quarterback hurries and recovered a fumble … Other tackles for loss came against Purdue and USC.
JUNIOR SEASON (2023 at Nebraska)
Appeared in 11 games with 6 starts in what was his best all-around season at Nebraska … Had career-best 34 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks … Led the Cornhuskers in tackles for loss and sacks … Key member of Nebraska defense that posted the school’s best rushing defense (92.9 yards per game), total defense (303.5 yards per game) and scoring defense (18.3 points per game) since the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011 … Had first career sack against Colorado … Had a sack for a 9-yard loss the following week vs. Northern Illinois … Started for first time of career vs. Illinois and responded with 3 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack … Had career-best 6 tackles to go along with 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack vs. Northwestern … Had 5 tackles vs. Michigan State and 3 tackles along with a sack for a 3-yard loss vs. Wisconsin.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2022 at Nebraska)
Played in all 12 games, seeing in action on both defense and special teams … Tallied 9 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a pass breakup … First career tackle went for a 1-yard loss vs. Oklahoma … Had a tackle and first career pass breakup vs. Indiana … Had 2 tackles vs. Illinois and Michigan.
REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SEASON (2021 at Nebraska)
Appeared in 2 games, seeing action on defense against Fordham and Butler.
FRESHMAN SEASON (2020 at Nebraska)
Did not appear in any games during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.
HIGH SCHOOL
Played only 1 season of football in high school, that coming as a senior in the fall of 2019 … Had 60 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks and 21 quarterback hurries in his only season of football at Murphy High School in Mobile, Ala. … Focused primarily on basketball in high school … Senior season of football was his first time playing the sport since the seventh grade … Rated among the nation’s top 35 defensive ends by Rivals as a senior.
JIMARI BUTLER’S CAREER HIGHS
Tackles: 6 vs. Northwestern, 2023
Tackles for loss: 3.0 at Ohio State, 2024
Sacks: 2.0 vs. Western Kentucky, 2025