OU Football Recruiting: Sooners Gain Commitment From 4-Star Linebacker

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Despite a lukewarm, up-and-down start to the 2016 college football season. OU football recruiting continues to stay hot.

The Sooners received a verbal commitment this week for 2017 from Jacob Phillips, a four-star recruit from Nashville, Tenn.

The 6-foot, 3-inch, 228-pound Phillips is the fifth linebacker to commit as a member of the Oklahoma 2017 recruiting class. He is the fifth linebacker commitment in the OU 2017 class and the third rated as four stars by Rivals.com.

The Oklahoma 2017 class is currently ranked third in the country by Rivals, behind only Alabama and Ohio State. The Sooners currently have 22 commitments in their 2017 class, well ahead of their pace in recent seasons.

Phillips chose Oklahoma over offers from more than 20 NCAA Division I schools, including Alabama, Oregon, Notre Dame and Texas A&M.

Playing for East Nashville High School, Phillips has a team-high 73 tackles along with three interceptions, a fumble recovery and a pair of defensive touchdowns in his senior season so far this fall.

“I just felt comfortable with it. It was my No. 1 school, I love the coaches there, I love the tradition, so I feel like this is the right decision for me,” Phillips told The Tennessean newspaper.

“I just woke up one day (and) I knew I wanted to be a Sooners, and that’s what made it,” he said.

Phillips is the 16th four-star recruit to commit to Oklahoma for the 2017 season.

The Sooners currently have one player from the state of Tennessee on their 2016 active roster: Wesley Horky, a junior long-snapper from Brentwood, Tenn.