Heading into the 2023 season, new Auburn football linebackers coach Josh Aldridge has plenty to work with. Despite the loss of Owen Pappoe to the NFL, which the Tigers will feel on and off the field, the LB position group will return eight scholarship players along with two transfers.
However, many of those eight players are upperclassmen, including seniors Desmond Tisdol and Wesley Steiner. Sooner than later the Tigers will need more depth and talent in the linebackers room.
Enter 4-star Joseph Phillips, who hails from just 30 minutes down the road from Auburn in Tuskegee, AL. Phillips is ranked as the #230 overall prospect and the #20 edge in the recruiting class of 2024, and he is the #14 recruit out of the state of Alabama.
The linebacker has visited the Plains several times recently, and has quickly become a priority target for the Auburn football program. He made it to campus for the Tigers’ Junior Day in late January, and watched a spring practice session on March 1.
Now, it seems as though the Tigers are firmly in the lead in Phillips’ recruitment, with several On3 analysts predicting that he will end up in orange and blue. The linebacker has received nearly 20 offers to date, and is being recruited by several programs around the SEC, including Arkansas, Alabama, and Texas A&M.
It would seem that Auburn football has the lead for several reasons, the first being proximity to home. Tuskegee is such a short drive from the Plains that there is no way it doesn’t feel like home to Phillips, and his family would have plenty of opportunities to watch him play college ball. And, as mentioned before, talented linebackers will be needed in the next few seasons, and Phillips will have a great opportunity to compete for early playing time.
Though he will likely take his time in making a decision and utilize the chances to visit other programs, it seems like the Tigers are firmly in the lead for Joseph Phillips at this time.