LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Clemson landed a big commitment from Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer four-star safety Jalyn Phillips on Monday, his 18th birthday. He chose Clemson over finalists Alabama and Oklahoma as well as many other college offers.
In this article, The Clemson Insider breaks down Phillips’ commitment, what the Tigers are getting and more.
Profile:
Class/Position: 2019/Safety
Hometown (High School): Lawrenceville, Ga. (Archer)
Height, Weight: 6-1, 190
Power Five offers: Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Southern Cal, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida State, Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, NC State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina, Syracuse, Texas, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wake Forest, UCLA, Wisconsin
Ratings/Rankings: 4-star/No. 24 safety, No. 176 regional, No. 43 state (ESPN); 3-star/No. 26 safety, NA national (TCI Composite)
How Clemson got him:
Clemson gave Phillips the offer he had long coveted on June 6, when he visited campus with his parents during the Dabo Swinney Camp. It was the offer he was waiting for, and the Tigers instantly emerged as the clear favorite in his recruitment.
Even before receiving the offer, Phillips named Clemson one of his top five schools along with Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Southern Cal. After eliminating the Vols and Trojans, he chose the Tigers over the Tide and Sooners on Monday.
Phillips’ relationship with Clemson’s staff, especially Swinney and safeties coach Mickey Conn, was a big factor in his decision. Not only did Conn recruit Phillips, but Swinney also communicated frequently with him and that was important to him.
Clemson’s winning culture and the chance for early playing time there also appealed to Phillips. In the end, he simply felt Clemson was the best choice for him and his family.
What Clemson gets:
TCI got a good look at Phillips in person on Friday, when we traveled to Atlanta to watch Archer High School play Milton (Ga.) High as part of the 2018 Corky Kell Classic at Georgia State Stadium.
The first thing that jumps out about Phillips is his physicality. He looks ready to play in college from a measurables standpoint at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, and doesn’t shy away from contact. In Friday’s game and others, Phillips has consistently shown the ability to come downhill and make tackles from the safety position.
Overall, Phillips is a long, athletic and rangy safety with quickness and solid ball skills to boot. In our opinion, his recruiting rankings don’t do justice to the caliber of talent he is. Phillips is a great addition to the 2019 class and certainly has the chance to make an impact at the next level.
What his commitment means:
Safety was a position of need for Clemson entering the 2019 cycle, and the Tigers have done a fine job of addressing that need with their takes at the position in this class.
After not signing a true safety in either of the past two classes, Clemson now holds commitments from four safeties in the 2019 class: Phillips, Milton (Ga.)’s Joseph Charleston, Shelby (N.C.) Crest’s Lannden Zanders and Phenix City (Ala.) Central’s Ray Thornton.
Phillips becomes the 23rd total commitment in Clemson’s 2019 class. With him on board, the Tigers are likely done recruiting safeties in the current cycle.