Mainland wide receiver Chris Butler commits to Liberty football

Mainland wide receiver Chris Butler announced his commitment to play college football for Liberty in a post on his X account on April 20.

Butler, a 2027 recruit, held 14 Division I offers from schools such as Florida Atlantic, Toledo, UNLV and Colorado State, but he ultimately landed on the Flames after they offered him a scholarship in February.

“Honestly, my relationship with the coaching staff, coach (Tony) Washington and the rest of the coaching staff, really stood out to me compared to the other schools,” Butler told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. “They offered me back in, like, February … and they’ve just been showing me crazy love since then.”

Butler’s commitment came nine days after he visited Liberty’s campus and facilities on April 11, but he had a feeling that the Lynchburg, Virginia, private school was the place for him before he had a formal tour.

“I didn’t even step on the campus before I fell in love with the place,” Butler said. “Like, I remember we were driving in the mountains, and I looked down and I was seeing the facilities and the campus and the field, and it was just beautiful. Then when I got there, they were showing me around, and it was really mind-blowing.”

Butler, a Volusia-Flagler All-Area First Team selection, caught 45 passes for 944 yards and eight touchdowns for a Mainland team that made the Region 1-5A final in 2025. His reception and receiving yardage totals led a deep Bucs receiver group that combined for more than 3,000 yards, and his eight touchdowns tied the team high.

Mainland’s Chris Butler (7) scores a touchdown during the Buccaneers' game against Seabreeze High School at Daytona Stadium on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.