Fordham lands versatile Georgia defensive end Tab Butler

Fordham added a versatile Georgia defender who could help raise its defensive ceiling and widen the Rams' recruiting map at the same time. Tab Butler, a Norcross native and Wesleyan School product, committed to Fordham on May 29 after an official visit to The Bronx on June 5, choosing the Rams over Penn, Cornell and others.

Butler is the kind of piece FCS staffs covet because he does not come packaged as a one-role player. MaxPreps lists him as a 2026 prospect at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, with positions at defensive end and tight end and a 4.0 GPA. His high school profile also reflects that flexibility: Butler played defensive end and linebacker, and that kind of multiple-use defender can matter in the Patriot League, where matching bodies to schemes often decides which front can create pressure without giving up structure behind it.

The production backed up the traits. In 2025, Butler finished with 33 total tackles and one blocked punt, and he added an interception in Wesleyan’s 45-27 season-opening win over Commerce on Aug. 15, 2025. For Fordham, that is the profile of a player who can do more than occupy a spot on the depth chart. He gives the Rams a defender who can chase, rush and adjust, which is exactly the sort of flexibility that helps when a program is trying to squeeze more out of its front seven.

The recruitment also shows how Fordham closed the deal. Butler said he had been building a relationship with wide receivers coach Jake Petrarca for a long time, starting with a spring lift session during Butler’s junior year. That early contact, plus the eventual offer, made the Rams feel like a real destination rather than just another name in the mix. On the June 5 visit, Butler said the facilities and hospitality stood out right away, and he appreciated the chance to sit down, talk football and keep getting acclimated before summer camp.

There is a larger roster-building story here, too. Fordham has made defense a clear priority in recent cycles, signing 10 players in December 2023 and four more in February 2024 to finish with 14 signees in that class, including nine defensive players after the additions. Butler fits that trend cleanly. He also fits a school culture at Wesleyan that says its football program is about “building men for others,” a message that lines up neatly with a player who brought size, production, academics and versatility to the table. Fordham is not just adding a defender from Georgia. It is staking out a recruiting lane that could keep paying off.