Arizona scores with a versatile JuCo linebacker
The Arizona Wildcats now have 24 commitments for the 2017 recruiting class, still a top 15 class according to all major recruiting services. The latest commitment for the class came by way of junior college prospect Delshawn Phillips, a 6-foot-2, 228 pound linebacker out of Garden City Community College (Garden City, Kansas).
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Phillips was a 2-star prospect out of Cass Techinical, a football powerhouse. He signed with Western Michigan on National Signing Day of 2014, but ended up at Garden City. He is now a 3-star JuCo prospect, ranked 59th in the nation and second among inside linebackers.
In his first season with the Broncos, he racked up 72 tackles, seven sacks and forced one fumble through 11 games. This drew the attention of the Arizona coaching staff, landing an offer on June 13th.
“I was mainly communicating with Coach (Tony) Dews,” he said about his communication process. “It all started when they came to visit GCCC and they liked me.”
Phillips flew under the radar throughout his commitment, keeping quiet about his process.
“Nobody knew, but I had been wanting to commit (to Arizona),” he explained. “I just had to see the place, see my fit and then I felt like family. The whole environment was cool.”
Phillips is 100 percent committed to Arizona. His recruitment started to pick up, but that doesn’t matter to him anymore.
“Yeah, no need to name them,” he said when asked about if any other schools were recruiting him as hard as the UA. “Arizona blessed me with a scholarship so therefore no other schools matter.”
Phillips is an extremely versatile athlete that can be used all over the field. He says the coaching staff sees him as an outside linebacker that could be an edge rusher, also able to move in the box.
He plans to graduate in December and enroll at Arizona in the spring of 2017. He will be able to contribute immediately and become a staple of the defense moving forward.
His freshman year highlights from Garden City are below.