'Cool to Stay Home': Utah DB Cole Bishop Eyes Atlanta Falcons, Clark Phillips III Reunion

The Atlanta Falcons have a vacancy at safety, and Utah's Cole Bishop has the skill set to fill it.

Sep 23, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes safety Cole Bishop (8) encourages the fans. / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

When Clark Phillips III arrived in Atlanta for last May's rookie minicamp, he needed help.

Phillips, then a recent fourth-draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons, was just 21 years old, some 1,900 miles and 28 hours away from the University of Utah, where he lived for three years. He was even further from his actual home in Lakewood, California, staring at a 2,200-mile and 32-hour gap.

Looking for direction, Phillips consulted one of his running mates in Utah's secondary, safety Cole Bishop, who played his high school ball at Starr's Mill in Fayetteville, Georgia.

During their time at Utah, Bishop and Phillips watched film together almost every day and partook in hot yoga sessions, spending several hours alongside one another. Their bond was natural and made Bishop an easy sound board during Phillips' transition to Atlanta.

Now, Phillips is repaying the favor for Bishop, who's currently projected as a Day 2 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

"It was awesome," Bishop said about his time with Phillips. "Clark's a great player, great leader. Shoot, we were doing everything together. Talked to him a lot about being in Atlanta, being from there. Talked to him about this process as well. It's been awesome."

The two talked briefly before the NFL Combine, where Bishop starred, running a 4.45 40-yard dash and jumping 39" in the vertical and 10'4" in the broad while measuring 6-2, 206 pounds.

Sep 23, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes safety Cole Bishop (8) encourages the fans. / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Bishop, a three-star recruit after earning first-team all-state honors as a junior and both all-region and all-county accolades as a sophomore, quickly broke onto the scene in Salt Lake City.

As a freshman for the Utes, Bishop played in 10 games, starting the final six, en route to honorable mention All-PAC-12 honors. He made 54 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five pass breakups and three sacks.

A similarly stout sophomore year followed, as Bishop appeared in all 14 games, starting all but one, and led Utah in tackles with 83. His six tackles for loss were the most among the Utes' defensive backs, including Phillips.

He added four passes defended and 1.5 sacks while once again being named an honorable mention All-PAC-12 selection.

Then, Phillips left for Atlanta, leaving Bishop as the leader in the secondary. Still, the two talk often. Phillips has spoken highly of his lifestyle since moving south.

"He likes it," Bishop said. "It's cool. He's from LA so he's been in the city. Sounds like he likes it a lot."

While Phillips took over as Atlanta's starting No. 2 cornerback for the final five games, Bishop had a similar breakthrough for the Utes.

Across 11 games with 10 starts, Bishop recorded 60 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, all leading Utah's defensive backs. He was an ESPN midseason All-American and ultimately earned second-team All-PAC-12 honors at season's end.

A trip to the Reese's Senior Bowl followed, then the Combine. Bishop impressed at each stop. He feels he's better at covering tight ends than lots of other safeties and he has the versatility to play both free and strong safety.

He's met informally with the Falcons, who have a question mark at safety next to Jessie Bates III. There's fourth-year pro Richie Grant and rising second-year standout DeMarcco Hellams, but nothing stable.

And for Bishop, who's already an accomplished player in Georgia and has camaraderie with Phillips, the chance at coming home is intriguing.

"Obviously, it would be cool to stay close to home," Bishop said.