Clemson football freshman safety Jalyn Phillips is an aggressive play-maker with the ability to develop into an elite defensive back for the Tigers.
The 2019 Clemson football freshman class features a total of 29 signees, including 17 mid-year enrollees.
Two positions that the Tiger coaching staff placed emphasis on in this cycle were at the linebackers and safety positions. The Tigers signed five linebackers and four safeties.
Throughout the past month, we have been giving you a breakdown of each 2019 Clemson football freshman.
Today, we continue that analysis with a look at Jalyn Phillips.
Talent Analysis:
Depending on which service you look at, Phillips is either a 3-star or a 4-star. In the 247 Sports’ Composite rankings, he is a high 3-star. Phillips played both running back and safety in high school and proved that he can be a solid athlete all around.
The one thing that jumps out looking at his film, though, is his physicality.
At 6-foot-1 and 198 pounds, he’s a bit bigger than a lot of safeties coming out of high school. That 6-foot-1 height, especially, allows him to move with good range. Phillips enjoys contact and loves coming up to help in run support. He will have to work on change of direction and learning to read the offense so that he doesn’t get caught looking in the backfield, but he certainly has the traits to develop into an elite safety or play at the Nickel position.
When you’re looking at safety- or potential nickel position- you want to see that they have good athleticism, quickness, reaction and physicality. Phillips certainly has some of those attributes that could lead to him becoming an elite defensive back for the Tigers.
Immediate Impact?
Most likely, we’ll see Phillips redshirt this season. Though, he could get pushed into playing time if depth doesn’t hold up at linebacker/nickel or at safety.
At safety right now, though, the Tigers have Tanner Muse and K’Von Wallace as returning starters with guys like Denzel Johnson, Nolan Turner and fellow freshman Joseph Charleston behind them on the depth chart.