Rivals100 WR names a top 10

One of the most college-ready wide receiver prospects in the country has narrowed his list of college choices. Norcross (Ga.) standout Brice Butler released a list of 10 finalists during an exclusive interview with Rivals.com on Thursday morning.

"My top 10 is USC, Florida State, Notre Dame, LSU, Arizona State, Florida, Penn State, Oregon, Oregon State and Georgia," Butler said.

The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder talked about each of his top schools.

"Southern California made my list I'd say because of their coaching staff and the competition there," Butler said. "Every week you will be going against the best players every week, Pete Carroll is a good coach. He's a very up-tempo guy. He likes to work hard.

"The new receiver coach John Morton is a good coach. He knows what he's talking about. He's a good coach. Also, my recruiting coach is a fun guy to be with. Todd McNair made me like USC a lot, really. He really got me interested in SC."

Butler believes that Florida State is heading in the right direction.

"I think they are going to be really good this year or when my class gets in with the new addition of Jimbo Fisher as an offensive coordinator," he said. "I got the chance to sit down with him one-on-one and he knows what he is talking about. They are going to be a great team. (FSU wide receivers coach) Lawrence Dawsey has the record because he played in the league for nine years."

Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis has impressed Butler with his offense.

"Their coaching staff is ridiculously good," he said. "Coach Weis is the offensive guy so to say. He was probably the best offensive coach in the NFL. They don't have any big huge impact players at wide receiver, so there is an opportunity there. Clausen will be a good quarterback and they will have quarterbacks every year I will be there."

Opportunities also exist at LSU.

"LSU is a great place," he said. "They lost two or three of their top receivers this past year. (Tigers receivers coach) D.J. McCarthy, I've known him for a while. He knows my dad (former Atlanta Falcons defensive back Bobby Butler). The coaching staff there is great.

"They also got a new offensive coordinator Gary Crowton from Oregon who really likes to throw the ball."

Though it may be out-of-the box a bit, Arizona State is a serious contender for Butler.

"Everybody asks me about Arizona State," he said. "It's a great place and they have a new coaching staff. Coach Dennis Erickson has a great record and has won a couple of championships at Miami. The wide receivers coach coached Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens so he has the record of good receivers. I think they have the coaches and tools to become a good team, they just need some great players."

The defending National Champions also are in the mix.

"Florida is a great team," he said. "They are probably one of the best teams I saw in spring practice. They are very up-tempo and fast. Coach Urban Meyer is a good coach. Coach Billy Gonzales is a good wide receivers coach also."

An unofficial visit to Penn State put the Big Ten program in the mix.

"The tradition there at Penn State is impressive," he said. "It's a great place with great players. I probably got more friends at Penn State than any other college I visited and I was only there for two days. It's a good place to be and they've got great coaches."

Like Arizona State, Oregon and Oregon State were both surprised additions to the list.

"Oregon and Oregon State, I had a lot of interest in them before and I was supposed to be in Oregon now making visits," he said. "I got the chance to talk with some of the coaches. The wide receivers coach from Oregon State knows exactly what he's talking about.

"Hopefully I can get a visit in up there in July."

Georgia rounds out his list of ten.

"UGA is the hometown school," he said. "It's about 45 minutes up the road. They have a good coaching staff and they are having a good recruiting class right now. I think all the keys are there to becoming a great squad."

This weekend, Butler will be in Tallahassee, Fla., working a camp with his father.

Butler is the nation's No. 12 wide receiver prospect and is the No. 6 overall prospect in the state of Georgia for the Class of 2008.