LSU flips top 2017 linebacker Jacob Phillips from Oklahoma

On Thursday afternoon, the LSU Tigers pulled off a huge coup as the nation’s top middle linebacker flipped from the Oklahoma Sooners to the Bayou Bengals.

Jacob Phillips, a four-star player from Nashville, Tennessee, had previously committed to OU back on October 12. Three months after that decision, Phillips decided to commit to the Tigers, this after taking an unofficial visit back on January 20.

Phillips is not only the top MLB in the country but the fourth-best player in the state of Tennessee. He’s in the company of fellow LSU commit JaCoby Stevens, the second-ranked player in the state, as well as Trey Smith, Tee Higgins and Ty Chandler who’re ranked 1, 3 and 5 respectively. Smith and Chandler, an offensive tackle and running back, are both Tennessee Volunteers commits while Higgins, a wide receiver, is committed to the reigning National Champions, the Clemson Tigers.

Jacob Phillips joins an already star-studded group for 2017 that the Tigers possess. The class ranks sixth in the country and third in the SEC behind the juggernaut Alabama Crimson Tide as well as the Georgia Bulldogs. Phillips is the 12th four-star player in the class and 13th player with at least four stars or higher (the aforementioned Stevens is the lone five-star player in the class).

LSU has had its fair share of talented linebackers over the years, including current Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones who is in contention for the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award this season as well as the Super Bowl. With any luck, Phillips will follow in the footsteps of the studs before him and make an impact in 2017 and beyond.