One day left in the UteNation Countdown to Kickoff gives us two players to discuss, and here we take a closer look at no. 1 Clark Phillips III. "CP3" is one of the unquestioned leaders in the Utah secondary with 19 starts in his career, despite only being a sophomore. Phillips was Pac-12 All-Conference and AP All-Pac-12 second team in 2021.

With how we run the countdown requirements: scholarship players or walkons with more significant roles, plus being at Utah for at least one spring ball, it’s only fitting that the countdown ends with a potential first round selection in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. That’s right, that’s what Phillips is capable of with another solid season.

UteNation Take

Similar to other Utah greats, Phillips excels with an extremely high football IQ, tireless work ethic, and a nose for the ball—grabbing two interceptions and leading the Pac-12 with 15 passes defended in 2021. In a position group that was slammed by injuries last season, Phillips emerged healthy and earned the reputation as a true shutdown corner as he drew the opponents' best receivers on a regular basis.

He’s as elite at the position as they come, and between him and the return of JaTravis Broughton, Utah’s opponents will have a “pick your poison” situation.

Remembering Phillips' Recruitment

Despite being a commit to Ohio State, Phillips tripped Utah late in the recruiting process. He did so not only because of Utah’s track record at his position, but also because of his family longtime relationship with Shah. Throughout his trip, Phillips' phone was getting blown up by Ohio State coaches and players alike, as they were playing defense worrying about what would soon come. Utah stole him right before the early signing day in December of 2019.

Utah won over 37 other schools, including Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama and seven other schools in the SEC. It was arguably Utah’s biggest recruiting win in school history.