As decision time approaches for many 2024 prospects, Tennessee football found themselves in another set of top schools.
Joseph Phillips included the Vols in his top-five schools among Auburn, Clemson, Georgia and Texas A&M.
The four-star prospect ranks as the No. 197 prospect nationally, and the No. 17 EDGE in his class.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound edge rusher has an official visit scheduled to Georgia in June.
In-state Auburn seems to be in good standing for the Booker T. Washington High School prospect as well.
“All five schools have good football programs,” Phillips told On3. “The facilities are nice and a lot of the schools have the same things I like. The biggest difference about these five schools from the rest that are recruiting me is the environment.”
One of the biggest factors for Phillips was the ability to play in the SEC. As noted by his top-five, made up of four SEC schools, Phillips has put an emphasis on staying in the south.
Clemson also showed Phillips something different. Not in the SEC, the Tigers have prioritized Phillips and also offer the lure of playing immediately.
The four-star prospect played on both sides of the ball his junior season. He finished with 75 tackles, 19 tackles-for-loss, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and one touchdown on the defensive end.
On the offensive side of the ball, Phillips caught 29 passes for 336 yards and six touchdowns.
The class is comprised of Four-star quarterback Jake Merklinger, four-star athlete Johnathan Echols, four-star JJ Harrell, four-star cornerback Kaleb Beasley, four-star Marcus Goree Jr. and three-star defensive lineman Carson Gentle along with three-star offensive linemen Gage Ginther and Jesse Perry.
The momentum is picking up for Josh Heupel and his group heading into the summer.
