Javion Butts, a class of 2025 safety who attends Jones High School in Gray, GA, committed to play football at North Carolina on April 7.

At 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, Butts chose the Tar Heels over Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Cincinnati, Mississippi State, NC State, and several others, including Georgia Tech, which was one of his finalists.

He spoke with Tar Heel Illustrated on April 9 to delve deeper into why he chose Carolina, who has long-recruited the underrated 3-star Georgia defender.

Hall of Fame coach Mack Brown’s program brought Butts into focus last summer, the Tar Heels tendering him his fifth offer following a big camp performance at UNC in June. Carolina invited Butts to his first-ever college football game in September, he and his brother making the trip to watch the Tar Heels’ clash with Appalachian State.

Butts was back in Chapel Hill for the basketball game versus Duke, the three-star returning for the invite-only recruiting weekend in Feb. Then, he was back at Carolina last weekend, watching the Tar Heels practice and taking in campus for the fourth time.

Butts likes what the Tar Heels have been selling him on.

“They say it’s a four-year decision,” he said. “Everybody’s football career is going to end, and UNC is going to set you up from that point on. And if you make it to the NFL, you get the best of both lives, so it’s going to be pretty hard to beat that.”

But what led to his unexpected verbal commitment was Carolina’s willingness to go over the top to answer the big questions about his recruitment.

“I didn’t plan on committing, but I had two questions I wanted answered, and they did more,” Butts said. “It was really meeting with the academic counselor. She gave me so much information that I really loved. That was a big part of it but it was an accumulation of a bunch of things that helped me make that decision.”

Butts backtracked his recruitment from UNC, talked about the genuine, upfront, unique recruiting approach of the Tar Heels, and chatted about building out an already-strong 2025 class as the cycle continues to unfold. He talked about the major factors that led to his signing, including the Kenan-Flagler Business School, UNC’s ‘more than football’ program culture, and what the incoming class seeks to accomplish. Here is our full conversation with him:

THI: How did the Tar Heels' unique, genuine approach towards your recruitment to campus help win over your commitment to UNC at the end of the day?

BUTTS: "Their recruiting style is a part of what got me there, because they offered about three guys in the Class of 2025 at safety in the entire country. If you're a school, you can say ‘I'm No. 1’, but the proof is right there in the numbers.

“They offer about three to five guys and I was one of them, so that's a big thing. I love how they're doing that, because it helps them be even more real. They are very real, it's really personal, and they really care about you outside of football. (Their strategy) shows how many guys they actually offer and recruit."

THI: You said that you had a meeting with head coach Mack Brown in your office during your visit. Break down your meeting with your future coach about attending UNC and how your conversation went with him overall.

BUTTS: "I talked to Coach Brown again. Me, Warren, Brown, my family met in the office after practice. We talked about the Kenan-Flagler Business School and life after football. I met with an academic counselor. I talked with her. We talked about things other than football, like how I fit in with the school and the people there. They like me. My personal life and things like that, and how they would help me. It really is like a family over there."

THI: How were you able to further your already-strong relationship with defensive backs’ coach Charlton Warren during the visit?

BUTTS: “It went well. He was pretty focused on coaching, but I was able to see how he coaches and how he and his players interact with each other. I sat in a meeting with him for things like that. It was my fourth time down there and I’ve been talking to him for a while now, so we were just catching up with each other.

“We actually got some food when I committed. We were talking about some things, and we've known each other for a year or two. Just real conversations. It doesn't even have to be about football.”

THI: What did you like about the way Warren ran his position group through the drills at practice, and why is that something you want to be a part of?

BUTTS: "I love it because I've seen multiple players make mistakes, and it would be a real 'coaching moment.' He knows they messed up, but he will pull them to the side, tell him they made a mistake, and just 'coach him up.' They are all cool with each other, they are all like family, and I really love that about the school.”

THI: What does UNC choosing a Georgia three-star defensive back with a chip on their shoulder say about the Tar Heels, their recruiting strategy, and their belief in your abilities on the gridiron?

BUTTS: “I love it, man. I love being the underdog and proving people wrong. It gives me an edge, and it makes me want to work even harder. Proving people wrong is something that I love to do, man. So, honestly, that’s an advantage to me. I’d rather be ranked a three-star than a four-star and prove people wrong. They may have got that very wrong, actually. I like how North Carolina is doing it. Just going out, watching film, and recruiting people they actually like.”

THI: How did UNC taking care of your personal concerns end allow the Tar Heels to end up winning over your commitment at the end of the day?

BUTTS: “One thing I look at in a school is ‘life after football.’ As I was picking schools, I was asking questions and seeing how they go about that. They showed me they were more 'about that.’”

THI: Why are you confident in Brown’s abilities to lead you and the team on the field as you prepare to enter the program in 2025?

BUTTS: “I think he told me he has been coaching for 50 years, and that 30 of those were as a head coach. I mean, he’s got so much experience, and he knows everything. He’s really experienced and knows what he is talking about.”

THI: What were the major factors that led you to sign to UNC?

BUTTS: “Like I said, my business major, of course. They have the top-ranked business school in the entire country, so you can’t go wrong with that. Then, it was what Coach Brown told me after I committed. He said, ‘do you know what happens now? And I said ‘what?’ ‘Well now, if you get hurt, and you can’t ever play football again, we will still honor your scholarship and pay for your school.

“You can still help coach and be part of the tram. I mean, you can’t beat that. (Brown’s pitch) was a major part of it. The way they recruit is amazing, man. They pick a select few guys and really recruit them hard. They’re not just throwing out offers and seeing who they will land.”

THI: With a highly-rated incoming Class of 2025 that already has seven commits that is ranked No. 19 in the nation and is dedicated to building something special for the program, what do you feel like could be in store for the future at UNC?

BUTTS: “I feel like we can do a lot, man. We have a great quarterback, Bryce Baker. He is a great leader, and we are and we’re building a great class already, but we have to get the cornerback position right. I love how we’re building, just recruiting genuine guys who actually want to be in the program. So, it will be a great thing to watch, and the team already looked great this weekend. We’re adding to it, and we will keep building.”

THI: After committing early, are you selling the virtues of the UNC program to other defensive backs and recruits across all positions?

BUTTS: “I haven’t started yet, but we do want Onis Konnanbany here. We’ve got to have him. He lives in South Carolina, so this isn’t far for him at all. After I committed, Coach Jones said ‘we need to get Onis over here.’ I said, ‘yeah, we’re going to get him.’ He’s up next, so we have to get him for sure.”