One year ago Kentucky got the face to its 2012 recruiting class when quarterback Patrick Towles of Highlands gave the Wildcats an early verbal commitment.
Now it could happen again after Signal Mountain (Tenn.) High School quarterback Reese Phillips has ended his college search by giving a verbal commitment to Kentucky during an unofficial visit Wednesday.
Phillips, who also had scholarship offers from Memphis and Middle Tennessee, threw for 1,895 yards and 21 touchdowns by completing 71 percent of his passes in a wing-T offense.
Ward Gossett, assistant sports editor of the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press, says Phillips’ arm is impressive.
“He can make all the throws, but especially good on fade route. Every recruiter that saw him said he can definitely make all the throws. He's a shade over 6-2, about 215 (pounds) and still growing. Doctors told his mom he'd be 6-4 or better,” Gossett said. “This kid is a pro-set type quarterback. He can run, but he isn't going to outrun any linebackers, and maybe not a defensive end, but he's tough enough to lower a shoulder and smart enough to know when to slide.”
Gossett believes Phillips’ “potential is unlimited” based on what he did in only 10 games last year, when he had just four interceptions.
“He is a smart kid at a grades-tough school. Started as an eighth-grader in defensive backfield and returning punts and kickoffs. Has played corner, safety, linebacker, defensive end and split end. Good football smarts,” Gossett said of Phillips, who has a 3.75 grade-point average and scored 20 on the ACT in his only attempt.
The Chattanooga writer says he was not surprised by Phillips’ early commitment to UK.
“He fell in love with (UK offensive coordinator) Randy (Sanders) and told me earlier that he had a good feeling about Kentucky before his unofficial trip Tuesday and Wednesday,” Gossett said.
Phillips did grow up a Tennessee fan and said he had “known about” Sanders, a former offensive coordinator at Tennessee who coached Peyton Manning, for a “long time” before he was being recruited by Kentucky.
“He is someone I wanted to work with,” Phillips said. “I grew up a huge Tennessee fan. It was hard at first to start the recruiting process and not have a lot of love from Tennessee. But it’s all a business, and eventually you figure out you cannot have favorites. You go with what you are given. I am not disappointed, because I am very happy to be going to Kentucky. But I do look forward to playing Tennessee every year.”
Phillips knows former Wildcat Randall Cobb, who is now playing for the Green Bay Packers, is one of several Tennessee high school standouts who flourished at UK.
“Everybody knows about Randall. I hope I can impact the program like he did,” Phillips said. “Kentucky in general is a good fit for me. It felt like home quickly. My mother was with me and would support me no matter what, but she had the same feelings I did. We both said it kind of reminded us of Chattanooga.”
He thinks starting on the high school team as an eighth-grader and playing multiple positions helped him develop a better overall feel for the game at quarterback.
“I have been a quarterback my whole life. My dad and granddad (Harry Phillips at Georgia) were quarterbacks. It’s like a family tradition,” said Phillips, whose uncle, Dickie Phillips, was an All-American lineman at Georgia. “Being in an offense like we run really kind of develops leadership skills. Sometimes our running game works so well, there is no need to try and throw a lot.
“I am more concerned about winning. I am not concerned about fancy stats. For me, it’s about consistency and accuracy. That involves leadership. You have got to be mentally tough and not pout about not throwing it every down.”
Phillips gets in some extra throwing on the baseball field. He played shortstop and pitcher before becoming solely a pitcher last season because of his football commitments. His earned run average was about 0.75 this season with a “ton of strikeouts” even though he didn’t pitch as much as he hoped last season.
He doesn’t expect to play football in his first year at Kentucky, either, at least not in games.
“I think I could get the hang of it and play my first year, but I wanted to get redshirted,” Phillips said. “I have told all the coaches that. The physical part, you get bigger and stuff for SEC play. But redshirting will be more to get used to the mental part and speed and pace of the SEC. I had to wait my time in high school, but then we won. It’s just part of the process.
“As a quarterback, you always have confidence. I know there will be a couple of quarterbacks (Maxwell Smith and Patrick Towles) ahead of me, but you have to believe you can come, compete and win.”
Phillips says his verbal commitment to Kentucky created quite a buzz among family and friends. He’s the first player at his school to commit to a SEC school and says he’s only the third SEC quarterback out of the Chattanooga area in the last 50 years.
“Chattanooga was freaking out. When I left Kentucky, I had 35 people start following me on Twitter, 30 messages on Facebook from friends and reporters and family,” Phillips said. “I had over 200 likes on my status (on Facebook) and people wanting to be my friend. It was crazy.”
Phillips says not to worry about him wavering on his commitment between now and February, when he can sign with Kentucky.
“I’m firmly committed to Kentucky. I’m sold on the city, the school, the football program and the coaches,” he said.
Now it could happen again after Signal Mountain (Tenn.) High School quarterback Reese Phillips has ended his college search by giving a verbal commitment to Kentucky during an unofficial visit Wednesday.
Phillips, who also had scholarship offers from Memphis and Middle Tennessee, threw for 1,895 yards and 21 touchdowns by completing 71 percent of his passes in a wing-T offense.
Ward Gossett, assistant sports editor of the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press, says Phillips’ arm is impressive.
“He can make all the throws, but especially good on fade route. Every recruiter that saw him said he can definitely make all the throws. He's a shade over 6-2, about 215 (pounds) and still growing. Doctors told his mom he'd be 6-4 or better,” Gossett said. “This kid is a pro-set type quarterback. He can run, but he isn't going to outrun any linebackers, and maybe not a defensive end, but he's tough enough to lower a shoulder and smart enough to know when to slide.”
Gossett believes Phillips’ “potential is unlimited” based on what he did in only 10 games last year, when he had just four interceptions.
“He is a smart kid at a grades-tough school. Started as an eighth-grader in defensive backfield and returning punts and kickoffs. Has played corner, safety, linebacker, defensive end and split end. Good football smarts,” Gossett said of Phillips, who has a 3.75 grade-point average and scored 20 on the ACT in his only attempt.
The Chattanooga writer says he was not surprised by Phillips’ early commitment to UK.
“He fell in love with (UK offensive coordinator) Randy (Sanders) and told me earlier that he had a good feeling about Kentucky before his unofficial trip Tuesday and Wednesday,” Gossett said.
Phillips did grow up a Tennessee fan and said he had “known about” Sanders, a former offensive coordinator at Tennessee who coached Peyton Manning, for a “long time” before he was being recruited by Kentucky.
“He is someone I wanted to work with,” Phillips said. “I grew up a huge Tennessee fan. It was hard at first to start the recruiting process and not have a lot of love from Tennessee. But it’s all a business, and eventually you figure out you cannot have favorites. You go with what you are given. I am not disappointed, because I am very happy to be going to Kentucky. But I do look forward to playing Tennessee every year.”
Phillips knows former Wildcat Randall Cobb, who is now playing for the Green Bay Packers, is one of several Tennessee high school standouts who flourished at UK.
“Everybody knows about Randall. I hope I can impact the program like he did,” Phillips said. “Kentucky in general is a good fit for me. It felt like home quickly. My mother was with me and would support me no matter what, but she had the same feelings I did. We both said it kind of reminded us of Chattanooga.”
He thinks starting on the high school team as an eighth-grader and playing multiple positions helped him develop a better overall feel for the game at quarterback.
“I have been a quarterback my whole life. My dad and granddad (Harry Phillips at Georgia) were quarterbacks. It’s like a family tradition,” said Phillips, whose uncle, Dickie Phillips, was an All-American lineman at Georgia. “Being in an offense like we run really kind of develops leadership skills. Sometimes our running game works so well, there is no need to try and throw a lot.
“I am more concerned about winning. I am not concerned about fancy stats. For me, it’s about consistency and accuracy. That involves leadership. You have got to be mentally tough and not pout about not throwing it every down.”
Phillips gets in some extra throwing on the baseball field. He played shortstop and pitcher before becoming solely a pitcher last season because of his football commitments. His earned run average was about 0.75 this season with a “ton of strikeouts” even though he didn’t pitch as much as he hoped last season.
He doesn’t expect to play football in his first year at Kentucky, either, at least not in games.
“I think I could get the hang of it and play my first year, but I wanted to get redshirted,” Phillips said. “I have told all the coaches that. The physical part, you get bigger and stuff for SEC play. But redshirting will be more to get used to the mental part and speed and pace of the SEC. I had to wait my time in high school, but then we won. It’s just part of the process.
“As a quarterback, you always have confidence. I know there will be a couple of quarterbacks (Maxwell Smith and Patrick Towles) ahead of me, but you have to believe you can come, compete and win.”
Phillips says his verbal commitment to Kentucky created quite a buzz among family and friends. He’s the first player at his school to commit to a SEC school and says he’s only the third SEC quarterback out of the Chattanooga area in the last 50 years.
“Chattanooga was freaking out. When I left Kentucky, I had 35 people start following me on Twitter, 30 messages on Facebook from friends and reporters and family,” Phillips said. “I had over 200 likes on my status (on Facebook) and people wanting to be my friend. It was crazy.”
Phillips says not to worry about him wavering on his commitment between now and February, when he can sign with Kentucky.
“I’m firmly committed to Kentucky. I’m sold on the city, the school, the football program and the coaches,” he said.
