Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III steps in entrance of Oregon State vast receiver John Dunmore for a pick-six as Utah and Oregon State play at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake Metropolis on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Phillips is anticipated to go within the early rounds of this week’s NFL draft. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III warms up earlier than sport in opposition to Stanford Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Salt Lake Metropolis. Rick Bowmer, Related Press
Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III traces up for a play throughout sport in opposition to Washington State, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, in Pullman, Wash. Phillips was the highest-ranked participant to ever signal with the Utes popping out of highschool; now he's taking his appreciable skills to the NFL. Younger Kwak, Related Press
There was a time when Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III was projected as a first-round NFL draft choose.
However coming into this week’s draft, due to issues about his measurement, and due to the deep cornerback class, Phillips is anticipated to slip into Day 2.
“It’s a kind of issues the place you may’t management it. You’ve simply received to personal your 20 sq. toes. That’s what I’ve been making an attempt to do, simply hearken to that and ensure I’m staying the place my toes are and proudly owning what I’m presupposed to personal.” — Clark Phillips
One of many those who is aware of him finest, Utes cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah, believes Phillips is a first-round expertise, regardless of the projections.
“I consider that with out query. He’s a first-round expertise. Will he be taken there? I don’t know. I hope so,” he stated. “It’s projected that there shall be 5 - 6 cornerbacks go within the first spherical and one other 4 within the second. He’s wherever from 4 to 9 on some boards. It’s a risk. I simply need his identify to be known as after which let’s go play soccer.”
Phillips is aware of that the place he’s taken within the draft is out of his palms.
“It’s a kind of issues the place you may’t management it. You’ve simply received to personal your 20 sq. toes,” he stated. “That’s what I’ve been making an attempt to do, simply hearken to that and ensure I’m staying the place my toes are and proudly owning what I’m presupposed to personal.”
‘No one will work tougher than him’
Shah and Phillips, the 5-foot-9, 184-pound unanimous All-America choice and Pac-12 Defensive Participant of the 12 months, have had many conversations concerning the draft.
“Like I advised him, it makes no distinction the place you go. Proper now, that’s the one factor that issues to him. The place am I going to go? What spherical will I be taken? Which crew am I going to? It’s so secondary to what’s going to occur to him,” Shah stated. “What I advised him, and what I consider is, ‘Wherever you go would be the crew that drafted you and wished you.’
“The crew that was on the Professional Day and each different analysis web site to let you recognize that, ‘Hey, we consider in your expertise. We’re going to provide the finest alternative to excel.’ As soon as it’s been determined the place you’re going, now you may breathe and get to work. No one, no one, no one will work tougher than him.”
Throughout his three-year Utes profession, Phillips, the highest-rated recruit ever landed by the Utes, recorded 110 tackles, 9 interceptions — together with 4 pick-sixes — 21 move deflections and one fumble restoration. He was additionally a crew chief that helped Utah seize back-to-back Pac-12 championships.
However Phillips didn’t wow anyone on the NFL mix in February together with his numbers or metrics.
“That was a nerve-wracking expertise as a result of I’m a child that grew up watching dudes and their faculty movie,” Phillips stated. “Being a child, watching it on TV and telling my dad, ‘That dude is sluggish, how did he make so many performs?’ Then you definately run your 40 and it’s like, dang, these guys are fairly quick. It’s a humbling expertise as effectively. You’re on the market with the most effective of the most effective. The entire high dudes and also you’re simply competing.”
However he stated after Utah’s Professional Day that he’s a soccer participant — and he’s confirmed that over time.
“It was a weight lifted off my shoulders on the mix. It was extra, OK, we’re not coaching for a monitor meet; we’re coaching for soccer,” Phillips stated. “That’s what I checked out it like. I’m a soccer participant. I guard receivers. I make soccer performs. I don’t play the 40; I don’t play shuttle; I play soccer. I’m simply glad to get that out of the way in which and play soccer in entrance of those guys.”
When Shah talks to NFL personnel about Phillips, he’s gotten the identical questions. And he responds with the identical solutions.
“Do you assume he can play each inside and outdoors? Take a look at the movie. Is he going to be a very good tackler? Take a look at the movie. He’s missed some tackles, positive, and everyone else that you've got forward of him has missed tackles,” Shah stated. “Take a look at the movie and also you’ll see he can get off blocks. He can diagnose route ideas. He can blitz successfully. All of the issues that you really want in an inside and outdoors cornerback.
“He’s performed in opposition to phenomenal expertise for the three years that he was right here each inside and outdoors. And everyone says, ‘Is he actually pretty much as good a child as he portrays?’ Higher. He’s higher than that,” he continued. “His mom and father are utterly sturdy of their religion. His brother performs ball again East.
“He’s phenomenal. He’s a kind of youngsters that you simply don’t get that assortment of fine attributes typically. Not like that. However all of them ask the identical questions. ‘Will he be a very good participant for us at this degree?’ He’ll be higher than you guys assume. He'll. He’ll be phenomenal.”
Religion and household
Phillips, who hails from Lakewood, California, is humbled and grounded. His basis is his household and his religion. Phillips’ father is the chief of the Unity Missionary Pastor Church. Clark Phillips III is closely concerned within the ministry, offering service for his group.
“I really like my household. I really like spending time with my household,” Phillips stated. “My religion in God is what’s gotten me this far.”
After initially committing to Ohio State out of La Habra Excessive, Phillips flipped his dedication to Utah as a result of, partially, he beloved the household environment throughout the Utes’ program.
However Phillips didn’t decide like that with out “quite a lot of prayer” in addition to many conversations together with his dad and mom.
Phillips’ dad and mom attended Professional Day to help their son.
“They’ve been there each step of the way in which, from my mother staying on me in lecturers and on the sector and my dad, when he used to get me and my brother up at 6 a.m. typically to work out,” he stated. “That’s all we knew. He instilled that canine and that grind mentality. You rise up and go work for no matter you need — whether or not it’s soccer, badminton. If I used to be doing something, I'd have had that canine, that potential to rise up and go do it.”
‘He makes your crew higher’
Shah has seen firsthand how Phillips has made not solely the cornerbacks room and the protection higher at Utah, however your entire crew. The NFL franchise that drafts Phillips will be taught that as effectively, Shah stated.
“Similar to we had been, some crew goes to be like, ‘Wow, he makes your crew higher.’ He'll make not solely the cornerbacks room higher, the safeties room higher, he makes the entire crew higher. Individuals like staff,” Shah stated. “Individuals love those who present up each day, don’t complain, and simply work.
“You discuss management — he was the consummate chief. It took him time to turn into that chief. However when he lastly stated, ‘I'm a frontrunner’ and he considered himself in that method, we turned a greater unit. I consider that would be the identical factor that may occur to him on the subsequent degree.”
Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III warms up earlier than sport in opposition to Stanford Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Salt Lake Metropolis.
Rick Bowmer, Related Press
Phillips is worked up about different Utah gamers which have a shot at taking part in within the NFL.
“I’ve received all the religion on this planet in my guys. It’s thrilling as heck to go searching and there are quite a lot of dudes which are good,” he stated. “Not solely on this crew however I even have a look at the fellows that may come out subsequent yr and I’m like, ‘We’ve received dudes.’ I see why we’ve gained championships.”
With so many defensive backs out of Utah which have been drafted over time, Phillips is wanting ahead to carrying that banner.
“It’s a legacy, man. It’s an ordinary these guys set earlier than me. I’m simply making an attempt to reside it out and I’m making an attempt to maintain it going. And on high of that, set up my very own legacy as effectively,” he stated. “All of us have quite a lot of issues in widespread however a kind of issues is the teaching — RSNB — relentless, good, nasty ballhawks.
“I really feel like that goes straight into life as effectively. It’s a kind of issues that not solely on the soccer subject that you simply take nevertheless it goes into being an awesome man and an awesome father.”
Proving doubters improper
All through his life, Phillips has handled others doubting him due to his diminutive stature. It seems that’s taking place once more forward of the draft.
However Shah is wanting ahead to watching Phillips present that he can play, and excel, within the NFL.
“I don’t consider anyone will make extra of an impression than he'll proper now. He'll examine and take up your entire playbook. He'll have a look at extra movie than anyone that they’ve drafted or related place,” he stated. “It’s simply him at all times being advised the identical factor since he was slightly boy — you’re not tall sufficient, you’re not quick sufficient. He’s simply confirmed everyone improper again and again.
“He'll proceed to show everyone improper and those who doubted him and don’t assume his sport interprets to the following degree. I’m simply so blissful for the day to occur and for him to get the anxiousness off his physique and no matter that crew is, I’m an prompt fan of that crew. I higher not say that as a result of I’m an AFC West man. I can’t love everyone. However I really like quite a lot of groups. I’ll be a fan of his and I’ll watch him intently.”
Shah is assured about Phillips’ future.
“I count on, identical to (former Ute cornerback and present Chicago Bear) Jaylon Johnson did, and the boys that got here earlier than him, will give me a name and say, ‘Coach, that is precisely what we do — they only name it one thing slightly totally different.’ Soccer is soccer is soccer,” he stated. “It doesn’t change whatever the degree. It’s the identical. Clark’s been wonderful from Day 1 in any respect ranges. I don’t count on something to alter — when God blesses him on the subsequent degree.”
Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III traces up for a play throughout sport in opposition to Washington State, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, in Pullman, Wash. Phillips was the highest-ranked participant to ever signal with the Utes popping out of highschool; now he's taking his appreciable skills to the NFL.
Younger Kwak, Related Press