New receivers coach Kevin Sherman has his first commitment as a Purdue position coach, landing wide receiver Gregory Phillips out of Lithonia, Ga. Phillips, a 2-star prospect, hails from the same high school (Arabia Mountain) as current Purdue defensive end Danny Ezechukwu.
Thursday night was a big night for the 6-foot 181-pound Phillips as he picked up his first two offers from BCS schools, adding offers from Iowa State and Purdue to a list that includes Ball State, Air Force, and Western Kentucky. In an article posted just two weeks ago on VarsityPreps.com, Phillips listed his favorites as Air Force, Arkansas St., UNCC, Ball State, and Appalachian St., but it didn't take much time to make up his mind after receiving Purdue's offer. He would be a Boilermaker 24 hours later.
Last season Phillips hauled in 37 catches for 484 yards to go along with 7 touchdowns and this season he expects to see some time on the other side of the ball, as well as returning kicks. This spring, Phillips posted an electronically timed 4.77 40-yard time, a 25.3-inch vertical, and a 4.40 20-yard shuttle at a Nike Combine (for reference points on the shuttle time, click here).
Phillips doesn't have blazing top end speed but gets off the line quick and what stuck out most to me is that he looks to be a great route runner. I'm not going to sit here and claim to be a Gregory Phillips expert after watching two recruiting videos, but he does a great job using his hands (no homo) and catching the ball away from his body while having a knack for finding the openings on the field. To me, it looks like he has the tools to be a solid slot receiver for the Boilers.
Phillips is the second receiver in the 2014 class, joining Trae Hart. With double digit wide receivers on scholarship, it's a near certainty that Phillips redshirts next year and when exactly he'll see the field remains to be seen but as we all know, there's always a place on the field for guys that can catch the ball.
To bring your Gregory Phillips knowledge up to my level, watch his videos below.
You can also follow him on Twitter, @_GregOnTheRise.
Greg Phillips Highlights (via BeastPagesVideo)
Greg Phillips Highlights (via BeastPagesVideo)