New Texas Tech defensive line transfer Bryce Butler,\u00a0met with the media on Thursday for the first time since arriving from the Washington Huskies. The Toronto, Canada native, detailed starting his college career in\u00a0JUCO, to the\u00a0path that\u00a0ultimately led\u00a0him to Lubbock. <\/p>\n
Adversity in JUCO: Where Bryce\u00a0Found His Edge\u00a0<\/p>\n
After moving from Toronto to a high school in Connecticut, Butler then began his college career at Garden City Community College in 2023. It was there that he faced some of the toughest moments of his football journey,\u00a0ones that\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0always align with what he had once envisioned.\u00a0\u201cIn high school, I was under-recruited, so I went the JUCO route, and it was a big eye-opener for me,\u201d Butler said. \u201cI saw a lot of people come and go, and it really came down to how bad I wanted it. There were times where I was barely eating,\u00a0it was rough.\u201d\u00a0Butler also detailed the physical transformation he endured during that\u00a0time. \u201cI\u00a0was around 300 pounds in my first year of JUCO, and then I dropped to about 255 in my second year,\u201d he said. \u201cI just took advantage of what I had. We had a small weight room, and I was in there and on the field by myself every day. Then, God blessed me, and it\u00a0opened up\u00a0opportunities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finding a Home at Texas Tech<\/p>\n
Now at Texas Tech, Butler has quickly found a sense of home, crediting both head coach\u00a0Joey McGuire\u00a0and the program\u2019s top-tier facilities, something he felt from the moment he first stepped on campus after entering the transfer portal.\u00a0\u201cSomething I really felt here was the love\u00a0within\u00a0the team and the coaching staff,\u201d Butler said. \u201cCoach McGuire is\u00a0a\u00a0dude,\u00a0he makes the whole building smile. You\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0get that from a lot of head coaches. I appreciate consistency, and all the coaches here are consistent with who they are. You can tell\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0building something special, and I wanted to be a part of that.\u201d\u00a0He also pointed to the day-to-day resources now available to him,\u00a0something that contrasts sharply\u00a0from his\u00a0JUCO experience.\u00a0\u201cOh man, it\u2019s a blessing,\u201d Butler said. \u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0not just the\u00a0\u201cCash,\u201d\u00a0it\u2019s everything. All the resources, everything you need. They\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0miss a beat here, and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0fantastic.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ready to Help Anchor the Defensive Line<\/p>\n
Coming off a productive season with the University of Washington, recording 19 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and a fumble recovery. Butler now enters 2026 poised to be a key anchor along the Texas Tech defensive line.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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