SI All-American Candidate Torey Phillips Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: DE Torey Phillips
Projected Position: Defensive Tackle/Offensive Tackle
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-5, 270 pounds
School: Texarkana (Texas) Pleasant Grove
Schools of Interest: Arkansas, Texas A&M, Kansas, Louisiana-Monroe, North Texas, Louisiana Tech and UNLV, among others.
Frame: Big and tall. Broad shoulders and wide chest taper to taut midsection. A bit high waisted. Developing lower body, with degree of natural size. Ample room for more mass, muscle as needed.
Athleticism: Coordinated. Moves well in short areas, with active feet and relatively loose hips. Above-average mobility in space, though burst is lacking. Functional strength is merely average for size. Not much quick-twitch explosion.
Instincts: Quick off the ball. Regularly tries to beat linemen at POA with inside move or arm-over. Shoots arms into chest of blockers, locking out while diagnosing. Gets hands high in throwing lanes when stymied as pass-rusher.
Polish: Normally maintains base, center of gravity despite height. Needs to add to pass-rush toolbox. Must get comfortable taking on blocks, anchoring in run game.
Bottom Line: Phillips’ combination of length, size and mobility makes him a worthy Power-5 prospect. The question is if he’s best suited sticking to defense, where he’s being recruited, or if his ceiling is higher at offensive tackle. The bet here is the latter, though he’s also equipped to contribute as an interior defensive lineman or five-technique.