This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah fans understand how fast things can change for a football program in a few months.
So understand Cory Butler's situation: He was a Ute commit who switched to Kansas in June, but as Utah's fortunes improved and Kansas' sunk, he kept an open mind.
The 5-foot-10 four-star junior college cornerback and receiver is back in Utah's fold after recommitting on Sunday morning. The coaches wanted to know why Butler changed his mind, and so do the fans who follow recruiting closely.
Here's what he's got: He never stopped liking Utah, and eventually the positives pushed him to come back.
"I love the coaches, love the players, I love the city," he said. "I went on a visit this weekend, and it all went good."
Utah took a rough 51-27 loss to Oregon on Saturday night, but Butler saw a program he wanted to be a part of as he took the tour led by Tevin Carter. He said Utah's business program was a big factor in his commitment, and he visited classrooms and facilities that made him feel at ease.
There's also the factors on the field: Kansas is 3-6, and has already fired head coach Charlie Weis. At the time of Butler's commitment to the Jayhawks, he told Rivals the coaching staff was the biggest factor in his decision.
Meanwhile, Utah is 6-3 and has a need at cornerback, the primary position they want the LA Harbor standout to play. Butler has come around to the idea of being a defensive back in Utah's system.
"They really have a strong defense, good corners and good players in the front seven, too," he said. "They want me as a corner, they might want me as a wide receiver, too. I wouldn't mind playing both ways."
Butler said he currently holds offers from Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA and Oregon State among others.
Butler has been a ballhawk for a hard-luck LA Harbor team this year: He has 46 tackles and five picks in six games. He's also caught 10 passes for 105 yards and a score, and is averaging 24.7 yards per return on kickoffs with one touchdown.
Utah is graduating corners Eric Rowe and Davion Orphey this year, and though Dominique Hatfield should be back and Reggie Porter should be healthy, Butler will help fill in depth and possibly compete to start. He also could be a successor to Kaelin Clay on kick returns.
With a four-star rating by Rivals and Scout, Butler is one of the highest-ranked recruits of Utah's class. Utah is expected to add a former Kansas player, Samson Faifili, next fall.
Here's a list of the Utah football commits the Tribune has reported on. Click for details:
2015
2016
2017
— Kyle Goon
Twitter; @kylegoon