Auburn will have an additional recruiter on its side when offensive lineman Aubrey Phillips is on campus for an official visit this weekend.
Phillips’ teammate at Olive Branch (Miss.) High School, safety Daren Bates, committed to Auburn on Thursday. Bates will join Phillips on his visit to Auburn.
The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Phillips, who said he’s still committed to Tennessee, told the News Sentinel via text message that playing alongside Bates in college will be a factor in his decision.
“Yes it will,” Phillips said in the message.
Auburn wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor will be another factor in Phillips’ decision.
Phillips is being recruited by Taylor, who coached at UT from 2004-07.
“He’s cool,” Phillips told the News Sentinel on Sunday. “I knew him when he was at Tennessee. He treats you like family.”
Phillips has continued to take official visits while committed to UT.
He visited Arkansas on Jan. 9, UT on Jan. 16 and Florida State last weekend.
Phillips told the News Sentinel on Sunday that he’s “90 percent” committed to UT.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 62
TommyJack writes:
He probably just wants all expense paid trip to lovely Auburn. 'Tho I don't know why.
CHS52VOL writes:
No surprise here since Coach Kiffin told him during his visit last week to take his other visits and enjoy them. Hope we get him on signing day, or before. Sic 'em Vols!
Docrok writes:
Why hire a guy that favors the spread when you know you will running a prostyle offense
StroVol writes:
Enjoy the process while it lasts fellas. Come freshman orientation and spring practice, you will fall hard back to earth.
ssukonic#254241 writes:
Aubrey---turn this around.......bring us another safety, your buddy, Mr. Bates!!
ctownvol writes:
Would someone shoot me an email and wake me up Wednesday morning? Tired of all the flip-flops. It's hard to keep up with who is committed and who is just testing the waters elsewhere. My head is spinning. And don't even get me started on the condition of this site now that it has been totally overrun. I'm taking a few days off from GVX. Take care guys.
jimmyrayvol writes:
Recruiting is a roller coaster ride for the fans and the schools involved. I think this will be a good class coming in ,although there will be some disappointments.
wagee12 writes:
I don't believe CLK's master plan included hiring a coach back just so UT might be able to hang onto one or two recruits in 2009. Taylor would have been a position coach only had he returned and he has designs on becoming an OC. In the long run, Taylor will probably hurt Alabama with his recruiting more than he does Tennessee. He did a most excellent job when he was here before and was run off by Chavis and Fulmer. Word is that Auburn may be paying him 400,000.00.
CHS52VOL writes:
We may all get a wake-up call on Wednesday....just hope it is good news. Enjoy your sabbatical.
letshave1more writes:
TT is trouble. OK State told him to go find a new home. CPF was glad to get rid of him and CLF could have hired him but passed. TT will get you some recruits but he causes too many problems in the long run. How many years do you think the new coach at AU will last? That was one bad hire-or fire?
dfreeman writes:
Well, it might prove the difference between a follower and a leader. It appears that he might follow his teammate there instead of Leading him to UT! We need leaders! It would be great to have him, but if he's not a leader maybe it's not terrible! Wasn't one of last years problems the fact that we had no natural leaders? That's what we heard all year right?
RoyaltyVol#280778 writes:
bummer!
MattDillon writes:
Couldn't agree more. Bask in it young men, take it all in. The next time you put on that helmet you will be somewhat humbled.
StroVol writes:
I'm going. Every home game
tnvolfan30 writes:
I grad. from UT in '02. Aren't you in the wrong forum? Doesn't the Dispatcher not have a playroom for you guys?
letshave1more writes:
Does SC have any coaches left? I think most of the good ones abandoned this sinking ship-this is CSS last year-count on it....
NoogaVol55 writes:
Placing great importance on a school b/c your highschool teammate is going there is not a good decision. So many things could happen and most are not good. That would be like following your highschool girlfriend. I am not liking this at all fellas. I hope I am wrong but this doesn't sound good.
orangebloodgmc writes:
ctownvol writes:
"Would someone shoot me an email and wake me up Wednesday morning? Tired of all the flip-flops. It's hard to keep up with who is committed and who is just testing the waters elsewhere. My head is spinning. And don't even get me started on the condition of this site now that it has been totally overrun. I'm taking a few days off from GVX. Take care guys."
I feel the same way.
FWBVol writes:
Has Steve Spurrier been able to fill all his coaching vacancies yet? Probably not, who is surprised?
I don't necessarily like when Florida or Bama fans come on here and talk trash, but at least the Tide and Gators have won National Championships. Your boys haven't ever won anything as significant as the SEC East. Come back when your team has a trophy from something other than the Outhouse Bowl.
hotrodvol writes:
Dang, I need to go to the doctor and get some nerve pills. We are due for some good news. Has anyone got a scoop?
bjwhite writes:
Smart move Aubrey, with Morgan Moses, Marcus Hall and Pet White still out there and four days to go you need some insurance for a safe landing on singing day.You don’t know what to think with these coaches.
utchris writes:
I really think that Auburn took Bates bc they think that will help them land Phillips. Before committing to Auburn, Bates was committed to Arkansas St. Seriously?
I saw their team this year and I certainly do not remember the Bates kid standing out. In fact, one of their other kids in the secondary is headed to Bama (rated higher than our prospect Myles) and he personally was not that impressive either.
I hope someone is smart enough to tell Phillips that he should pick a school that is right for him and not largely based on where his buddy is going. If that school is still somewhere else, then fine, but if not, then I am not sure we needed your intelligence in the first place.
johnsoncityvol writes:
I can't really believe a college offensive line prospect would base his decision on where his high school teammate, a safety, is going to go. Hope this guy makes an educated decision.
TommyJack writes:
SC should be in the Big East. Not worthy of SEC.
Volunatic writes:
Trooper favors the spread? I don't think that's what they ran at OK St (I'd call that more of a wishbone-option), and he sure didn't run it at UT under Cutcliffe. Did they run it when he was at Tulane?
Volunatic writes:
I disagree.
Trooper Taylor is a great recruiter, and a really good position coach, and his enthusiasm is good for the team.
If Fulmer had hired him as OC last winter, Fulmer would probably still be UT's coach.
johnsoncityvol writes:
Jump off the boat before it sinks. In fact just jump off the boat.
yeavols#228407 writes:
Ignore the interlopers..=) it's easy
memphis_vol_fan writes:
A number of us have screamed buyer beware?
Funny, the only person I see saying that on this site is.....YOU!!
Do us all a favor and do a belly flop off the SS Kiffin.
Volunatic writes:
This may come as a shock to the small-minded, but there are many of us who supported Fulmer for a long time, but were slapped in the face by the almost-inescapable conclusion this season that it was time for a change. (I say "almost-inescapable conclusion", because apparently it "escaped" some people).
Kiffin wasn't my first choice for a replacement (Kyle Whittingham was, and the Sugar Bowl reinforced that opinion), but that doesn't matter. Kiffin is the Vols' coach now, and Vol fans support him, because if Kiffin is succeeding, that means the Vols are succeeding. If you don't like him, go root for the Titans, or Maryville HS, or Carson-Newman, or someone else. If he's half as bad as you predict, then UT will have a new coach soon enough.
jcherrie#219531 writes:
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/20...
We can either look at what schools have a high opinion of a recruit or we can look at the opinion of a recruiting service.
Equally important - is who is going to show up:
"...Of the 135 players South Carolina signed from 2002 to 2006, 44 (32.6 percent) either did not step foot onto campus or did not complete their eligibility — early NFL entries excluded."
joeaubie writes:
This coming from the supporter of a school that sits on Lake Ft. Nasty and has a waste treatment plant on campus. And I have to disagree, the Papermill WH is my fave!
Two of our commits are visiting UT this weekend, it's just part of dealing with 18 year old kids. At the end of the day, winning or losing one kid is not going to make or break anybody's program.
joeaubie writes:
If you think offering a teammate of a top recruit a scholarship is bad, word is that Tana Patrick's girlfriend just received the Nick Saban Foundation scholarship for academic achievement. I kid you not.
BTW, WhitePine, those whose campus is on Ft. Nasty and has a waste treatment plant on campus shouldn't throw out "bad water" comments!
The_the writes:
WDE!
OakyVol09 writes:
What has he done to make you think he is a good position coach?
joeaubie writes:
Don't you need to get off the library's computer so somebody else can use it? Go back to your trailer, mullet head, and slap your wife/cousin because she forgot to go by DHR and get your weekly supply of free cheese.
Alabama and little Nicky are perfect for each other: he has no character and no morals, and they are to stupid to care about either
Volunatic writes:
Oh, just "results". When he was the RBs coach, the running game improved. When he was the WRs coach, the receivers improved.
memphis_vol_fan writes:
This is great! Now the interlopers are fighting with each other!
Docrok writes:
OK State runs a version of the spread, and yes Taylor favors the spread type offenses
givehim6 writes:
That's the way I fill. This flip flops makein' me dizze'. Can't wait till 5th.
Colliervol writes:
As mentioned before, it's pretty short-sighted to think that 2009 will tell anything about Lane Kiffin. He is operating with Fulmer's players and a recruiting class that he got in on late. It will be 2011 at least before one can make a legitimate judgement where the program is headed. Of course, don't let facts get in your way.
The only thing I find "humorous and pathetic" is somebody with no expertise in the area thinking he knows how a coach is doing BEFORE he gets started. Please list your coaching qualifications so that we can judge whether or not you have a clue what you are talking about. (And Pop Warner doesn't count.)
One other note: This program tanked last year. It can only go up.
orngbluded writes:
i have to agree i would of loved to see him here recruiting with thompson,orgeron,monte and lane.
orngbluded writes:
areyoukiffinme is a joke why even respond to him or her.
KennesawVol writes:
It's his wife/sister. Get it right, aubie!!
AllVol2008#1353998 writes:
I agree. And every time I ignore one, it gets easier!
rockytop#413695 writes:
My girlfriend wants me to commit, and let her move in. I gave her a soft verbal. I think I should take some other visits to be sure. There's a hot blond that just moved in up north of my house, kinda looks like Layla K. She's recruiting me hard and wants me to take a visit this weekend. I would love to check out her facilities and compare them to my girlfriend's! My girlfriend is acting like Saban, and doesn't want me to take the visit. I think, like Saban, she's afraid I might like what I see up north of her. Why can't she just be like Kiffin and tell me to take all my visits, have a good time, and be sure she's the one for me?
What should I do?
smowkee (Inactive) writes:
It was bound to happen. lol.
joeaubie writes:
yes it was bound to happen. At least this is a story concerning Auburn and UT, as far as my so called interloping goes. The Tahd boy has no excuse.
Hilarious that he pops at Pat Dye when their legend the Bahr was a Cutty Sark swilling drunk who chainsmoked Chesterfields!
rbhobbs73#226545 writes:
take those visits my friend.
You have to have all of the data before you commit. Once you sign on the dotted line with the girlfriend, getting a transfer waver granted is difficult and expensive!
rockytop#413695 writes:
Thanks, and you are right about the transfer waiver. Been there before. Of course if I take the visits she may pull the offer! Hope everyone gets the parody here. Sometimes we need to lighten up the board. These interloppers can be a little annoying sometimes.
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