Patterson’s Phillips down to 3

The recruiting process has been a long and tough road for Patterson linebacker Lorenzo Phillips.

He’s committed and decommitted to both Texas A&M and Florida during the early stages of his recruiting and has subsequently had his every word chopped up, overanalyzed and misinterpreted by the so-called recruiting analysts trying to feed gossip and speculative stories to their respective subscribing fan bases.

“Lorenzo’s not talking to the media anymore about his recruiting,” Patterson head coach Tommy Minton said. “He’s been torn apart so bad by the reporters … that he’s just made the decision to not talk publicly any more until Signing Day.”

Enough may be enough for the teenage standout, but Minton is still fair game to say a few words about his latest top-tier prospect.

And the coach is saying the same thing every college already knows, Phillips is a heck of a player, one that is worthy of his current 4-star ranking by recruiting service Rivals.com.

“He’s such an explosive pass rusher. He’s been the key to our defense,” Minton said. “We’re a pressure defense. The last three years, he’s been the main cog of supplying that pressure.

“And when you look at his work ethic and his practice habits, he’s been a tremendous leader as well.”

Phillips’ biggest asset on the football field is his cat-like quickness.

The standout linebacker stands just over 6-feet and weighs more than 200 pounds.

But with that frame, he runs an impressive 4.52 40-yard dash.

“He’s just very explosive,” Minton said.

Sheer explosion and athleticism is one thing. But when it’s combined with heart, it’s entirely another.

Minton said Phillips is always in position to make plays because he never quits on the field.

The stats back up the coach’s statement.

Phillips followed up an All-State season as a junior with 52 tackles (22 for losses), 12 sacks and four fumble recoveries this year as a senior.

“The big thing is just that he plays so hard,” Minton said. “He’s so intense. That’s the main thing the [college] coaches love. He just has that attitude that he’s just going to have a non-stop motor.”

At Patterson, Phillips was a wrecking ball who virtually lived in the opposing team’s backfield.

In college, Minton said he sees a similar scenario in the cards, adding Phillips is being recruited by everyone as a standup outside linebacker.

“Everyone that’s on him is recruiting him as a 3-4 outside backer to play on the weak side where he can be used as a blitzer and take zone drops into the flats,” Minton said. “Those are both things with his athletic ability that kind of suit him well.”

With several weeks before National Signing Day, Minton said Phillips is working to try and polish his body to be fully ready for the grind that is modern college football.

Phillips currently sits at that 200-plus pound clip, but the coach believes that number will easily be able to grow once the prospect is in a collegiate workout program.

“He’s got size, but he’s really got a body to fill out, too,” Minton said. “He’s got wide shoulders. When he gets on a training table in college, he’s going to be able to add 15 pounds to his body easily in that first year. … He still has plenty of room to grow and get bigger.”

So the obvious question becomes, where will Phillips end up?

Even Minton himself doesn’t know the answer to that question, saying that it’s anyone’s guess who might receive the coveted signed National Letter of Intent from the outside linebacker.

The coach did share some insight on Phillips’ recruiting process, confirming that it’s highly likely that the linebacker will wait until National Signing Day on Feb. 1 to make a final decision.

Minton also gave three schools that he believes are still in the running for the linebacker, who is already academically qualified to play at the next level.

“Right now, he’s narrowed it down to three and all three have said they’ll wait for him until the signing date,” Minton said. “Right now, it’s LSU, Texas A&M and Florida.”

Not mentioned in the shortlist by Minton is the University of Houston, who according to several reports, was considered to be in the linebackers’ shortlist.

One report even went as far as to say Phillips would either go to LSU or Houston because Patterson already has two players (Trevon Stewart and Jaydrick Declouet) committed in the 2012 class.

But Minton again cautions those to not believe everything they read on the Internet.

The coach believes that report, like many others published during Phillips’ recruiting process, are prime examples of hometown reporters taking advantage of a kid’s positive words about a school in order to try and excite a local fan base.

“You’re going to hear a lot of things,” Minton said. “But the thing about [Houston], that’s not really factual. The three that I told you, that’s the three. And they all know it’s going to be a signing day decision and they are all holding him a scholarship.”

Phillips may be silent off the field, with good reason. But on it, make no mistake about it, the linebacker is a terror.

And Minton believes that terror will translate very nicely to the college level.

“Wherever he goes, that place is getting a guy that goes to work every day,” Minton said. “He’s going to be a good football player.”

Patterson High School standout linebacker Lorenzo Phillips (left) makes a move on an offensive lineman during a practice this year. A Rivals.com four-star linebacker, Phillips has narrowed his collegiate choices to three. CASEY GISCLAIR