UCLA Football Recruiting: Elite west coast CB has UCLA in his Top 5
Four-star cornerback, Clark Phillips III (La Habra/La Habra, CA), has trimmed his list down to five teams which include the UCLA football program.
At first glance, the UCLA football team appears to be farther along in recruiting than they were a year ago.
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The #8Clap8th recruiting strategy, which has been casting a wider net with scholarship offers, has already proven worthy as the Bruins have two commitments for 2020. That is two more than the coaching staff had at this time last year.
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If anything, this more aggressive style of recruiting has gotten the attention of a lot more prospects — one, in particular, who did not have UCLA on his radar, at the start of his recruitment.
Clark Phillips III recently released his top five choices which included UCLA along with Cal, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Oregon.
Phillips told Greg Biggins of 247 Sports, “UCLA is doing some very nice things on the low key and I really like what I’ve seen on my visits there. They’re the one school who wasn’t in my initial top 12 but they have picked things up, and I talk regularly with Coach [Paul] Rhoads and Coach [Chip] Kelly.”
If you have seen Phillips, it is easy to understand why the coaches have put a lot of interest into the La Habra product. Though he is a being recruited as a cornerback, Phillips has experience on the offensive side of the ball as a receiver but is also no stranger to punt returns. This is because he has speed, vision and quite impressive athleticism. When you put that on defense, it is going to create a lot of problems for the opposition.
Phillips can pick off a pass or cause a break, but because of his high football IQ, he can quickly get to where the ball is going and lay a big hit. Already a perfect for UCLA.
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Along with Phillips, UCLA is also targeting cornerbacks 5-star Kelee Ringo (Saguaro/Scottsdale, CA), 4-star Ayden Hector (Eastside Catholic/Sammamish, WA), and 3-star Dejuan Butler (Antioch/Antioch, CA).