Seminoles land versatile JUCO linebacker
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Florida State's linebacking corps got some reinforcements on Tuesday. East Mississippi C.C. linebacker Lorenzo Phillips committed to the Seminoles, adding immediate help at a position of need.
The East Mississippi C.C. (Scooba, Miss.) defender becomes the 22nd commitment and third linebacker in the Florida State's 2015 class. He picked FSU over Ole Miss, Georgia, among others. He will add depth and could play immediately for a position group that lost both Ukeme Eligwe and E.J. Levenberry, saw Reggie Northrup suffer a serious knee surgery in the Rose Bowl.
Phillips made most out of his second chance at East Mississippi C.C. after academic issues ended his tenure at LSU. He had interest from several SEC programs including Ole Miss, Alabama and Georgia, but in the end said Florida State was his clear choice.
"Yes sir, I committed to Florida State," Phillips told Warchant.com in a phone interview. "I informed the FSU staff today. Since I got to East Mississippi, I've been talking to the Florida State coaches. Jay Graham has been the main coach I talked with the most. I did a lot of research on all the schools and what they have at linebacker and I knew there was a need at linebacker. Actually, when I was little, FSU was my dream school. I know that's crazy to hear from Louisiana kid, but they were the team I liked a lot so this is a dream come true."
Phillips, a three-star prospect, will have two years of eligibility to play two at Florida State. His official visit isn't scheduled until this weekend, but he decided to go ahead and make his pledge anyway.
"I've actually known for several weeks that Florida State was the place I wanted to be," he said. "But me and my family just kept it to ourselves before telling the coaches today. The coaches at FSU were so genuine and a lot of the talks weren't even about football. They got to know me personally and that really sold me. It was deeper than just football. I have a trust in these guys and I know they are going to put me in the best position and opportunity at Florida State."
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound linebacker said he has heard all the recruiting pitches, so when all the schools came by, he was focused on academics. Phillips plans to spend time looking into FSU's academics and more this weekend during his official visit.
"I'm excited to get there," he said. "I'm ready to work. I can't wait to meet all the players and just spend a lot of time with my future teammates. I'm ready to help them continue to win Championships. That's my plan."