Utes on the rise: Cornerback Clark Phillips III
With the 2021 Utah Football season now fully in the rearview mirror and spring ball just around the corner, it's time to reflect and review on the notable performances from the season. While players like Cameron Rising, Tavion Thomas, Devin Lloyd and Nephi Sewell made a lot of the big plays and helped lead the team to their first ever Pac-12 Championship, there were a handful of younger players who made notable contributions and are certainly players on the rise.
The following is a recap and analysis of freshman Clark Phillips III, his 2021 contributions, and what potential may lie in store.
A four-star recruit and rated the No. 4 cornerback in the country out of high school, Phillips is one of the best recruiting flips in program history as he originally was committed to Ohio State but switched over to Utah shortly after visiting. Since then, Phillips has become one of the premiere playmakers on the defense and a true leader despite only being a freshman.
Primarily starting all 14 games at right cornerback, Phillips absolutely locked down the secondary to the point where quarterbacks were taking a serious gamble throwing his direction, as he led the Pac-12 Conference in passes defended with 15.
Over the course of the year, Phillips finished the season with 63 total tackles for third most on the team while leading the defense with 13 pass break-ups and finishing second behind Devin Lloyd with two interceptions. From these contributions he strung together notable performances such as six tackles and a critical pick-six against Washington State, nine tackles (season-high) and three pass break-ups against USC and a star-studded performance in the Rose Bowl with six stops, one forced fumble and an interception.
For his efforts, Phillips was named to the Associated Press Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team, the Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team and was atop freshmen in the league with 11 passes defended during conference play. He was also ranked No. 3 on PFF’s list of top 10 returning corners as over his last six games he was the highest-graded outside corner in the country.
Phillips made incredible strides this last season and demonstrated elite defensive abilities as he took on some of the most difficult assignments in all of college football. Not only did he handle those situations with a veteran-like-demeanor but he orchestrated some of the season's biggest plays. With his disciplined body control, ability to quickly change direction and pester offenses by making plays without interfering, Phillips is not far off from an NFL career.
As for the future, Phillips is already stepping into leadership roles as he is one of five spring ball captains. Chances are, Phillips' role will only increase as the 2022 season approaches and there should be no surprise if he’s wearing a “C” on his jersey come September 3. In regards to his future contributions, Phillips will command the secondary and be a major part of Utah’s opportunity to defend their Pac-12 title and make another run at a New Year's Bowl game as he continues to attract an abundance of NFL attention. Simply said, Phillips is one of the most impressive Utes on the rise.
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