Talented 2026 Linebacker Tristan Phillips Had An "Outstanding" Visit To Notre Dame

2026 linebacker Tristan Phillips recaps his visit to Notre Dame

On Wednesday, Notre Dame hosted several big time 2025 and 2026 recruits. That includes 2026 Ventura (Calif.) High School standout linebacker Tristan Phillips, who made his first trip to South Bend. 

Phillips was originally offered by the staff during the Pot of Gold offer event a few weeks ago. The California native has spoken extremely highly of Notre Dame, which continued after this trip. 

"The visit overall was outstanding,” Phillips told Irish Breakdown. “Some of my favorite parts were the meetings with Coach (Marcus) Freeman, Coach (Al) Golden and Coach (Max) Bullough. I also really enjoyed the campus tour and seeing inside some of the buildings.” 

The coaches showed that they really understand how to interact with the players, and get the best out of them. That dynamic was something that really stuck with Phillips. 

"The coaches and players communicated very well and they all work as one to be great,” he explained. “My opinion on Notre Dame is nothing but greatness. I could definitely see myself fitting in their system and school.”

The Irish staff was also able to communicate their vision for Phillips on the field. He is a unique athlete that could potentially do a lot for their defense. That versatility is a thing they value heavily at Notre Dame. 

"The staff sees me potentially fitting in as a linebacker and an edge defender,” said Phillips. "Their pitch has been nothing but impressive to me.” 

It’s obviously very early in the recruiting process but so far, Notre Dame is doing a tremendous job with Phillips. He leaves South Bend with a deeper appreciation for what the program can provide, and how he could potentially fit with the blue and gold.  

Phillips has a developing offer list, which is beginning to take shape this offseason. Some of the top schools that have offered so far include the Irish, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, San Diego State, San Jose State and Cal Poly. 

In ten games as a sophomore, Phillips showed his versatility for Ventura. The 6-4, 210-pound defender collected 49 total tackles, eight tackles for loss and two sacks. Phillips also had another seven quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and a blocked field goal.