Joseph Phillips, 4-star in-state LB, signs Letter of Intent with Auburn
Four-star linebacker Joseph Phillips of Tuskegee (Ala.) Booker T. Washington signed his National Letter of Intent with Auburn on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period.
The Phillips File
Position: Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-1.5 / 250 pounds
Notable trait/Auburn fit: Auburn knew the bottom line was that it needed an athlete of Phillips’ caliber. He has been recruited as a Jack linebacker, meaning he would rush from the edge, but can play on the inside. He probably prefers playing on the inside for now, but could do many different things at Auburn.
On3 Industry Ranking: (93.69) No. 94 overall, No. 10 edge, No. 9 in Alabama
Commitment date: June 15, 2023
Chose Auburn over: Georgia, Clemson
Time of enrollment: January
Notable: Phillips was all but committed to Georgia. He made a decision on the last week before he made his commitment. “At first it was Auburn,” Phillips told On3’s Chad Simmons after his commitment. “Then the past two months it has really been Georgia. I was on Georgia bad. But the last two weeks, getting back to Auburn — it’s a different feeling when I walk in there. It’s where I know I want to be, and I know I can live in Auburn.”
Quoteworthy: “I feel like they just don’t want to have a player that’s in their backyard get away, I’ll put it like that. It makes you–I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s a good feeling. It’s like having a girlfriend who wants you: it makes you want her more.”
Breakdown/In-person evaluation
— Phillips played quarterback on Friday night. He also played edge/linebacker on the opposite side of the ball. Pike Road was going tempo on offense, so his conditioning was really tested.
— Phillips made some freakish plays as he always does from week to week. He had some of the most impressive 5 yard runs you will ever see.
— One of the more impressive plays was the batted ball on 3rd down. He rushed in, stayed under control, and got off the ground in a hurry to knock it down. Very athletic play.
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— It continues to impress me how calm and under control Phillips is as he plays the game. At quarterback he never panics, he never loses control and has near perfect body control as well. His effort ws spotty as he was gassed a good amount of the time, but when he turns it on, he can do just about anything athletically. Very few limitations.
SEC readiness
Phillips is ready for the SEC level. He will be one of the most natural athletes on Auburn’s team when he arrives as a freshman. From a football standpoint, there will be a somewhat steep learning curve.
The good news? He does not have to be fully polished as a football player in order to make a quick impact for what he will be asked to do on the edge and in the box. He will be an early contributor.
