Newest Badgers' QB hopes to land at head of the class

Of course, Sam Haynie is glad to feed the hype when it comes to University of Wisconsin football recruit Curt Phillips.

But the Sullivan South High School assistant coach is also quick to point out his praise comes with plenty of perspective.

"I played college football at the (NCAA Division) I-AA level and played against I-A teams and have seen a lot of I-A talent," Haynie said of Phillips, a star quarterback at Sullivan South the past three seasons. "These days, you don't know what you're getting. But they're getting a good kid who's equally as good an athlete. I think they got a real steal."

Phillips is among the 29 players — 24 scholarship and five walk-ons — who make up the Badgers' 2008 recruiting class, a group unveiled on Wednesday by Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema.

For now, the 17-year-old Kingsport, Tenn., native is continuing to get acclimated to college life. He graduated from high school in December and is already enrolled at UW — one of four recruits currently on campus.

But in time, Phillips is hopeful his talents can take him from being a player tabbed with potential to one that someday is in charge of the Badgers' huddle.

When that will be remains to be seen. Of the six quarterbacks listed on Wisconsin's 2007 roster, three had freshman eligibility and one was a sophomore. Incoming senior Allan Evridge, last year's backup, has just six career starts to his name.

"With all the kids that are signing here today, as a coach, I really try to downplay expectations," Bielema said during Wednesday's signing day press conference. "Just because it's unfair. Curt is a tremendous football player. He's accomplished a lot of things in high school. He's been a guy that's gotten better every year, and hopefully when he comes to Wisconsin, those same things will happen."

Phillips has been using his head start to study the playbook — "I'm just trying to learn concepts and stuff like that," he said — and ease into off-season workouts.

Meanwhile, his class load includes 14 credits, which when added to the six college credits he accrued in high school should have him in good shape on and off the field by the time fall camp rolls around in August.

Still, he's aware plenty of work remains — early start and all.

"There's no guarantee of playing time," said Phillips, the only quarterback in this year's class. "They've got a bunch of great quarterbacks here who have been waiting their turn. Just getting the opportunity to get in and compete, that's all you can ask for. I'll just do whatever I can to help. If that's working with the scout team, that's fine. I don't have a plan yet. I'm just going to compete and see how it all unfolds."

Phillips' prep career couldn't have unfolded much better than it did.

He finished his senior season with the most total yards (4,148) and most total touchdowns (57) in Tennessee history en route to earning state Gatorade Player of the Year honors.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Phillips — ranked by Rivals.com as the seventh-best dual threat quarterback in the nation and given a four-star rating out of five by the recruiting service — also guided his squad to a 12-2 record and a spot in the Class 4A semifinals, where it bowed out against a team that went on to win its fourth consecutive state championship and is in the midst of a 60-game winning streak.

In that contest, Phillips reportedly scored all three of South's touchdowns on runs of 11, 18 and five yards. He rushed for 121 yards overall on 25 carries, threw for 81 yards on 13-of-18 passing and was Houdini-like in his ability to escape pressure.

"I told our linemen, for a normal high school kid, that's a sack," Haynie recalled. "Even in that game, you could still tell he was probably the best player on the field."

Phillips, who turns 18 in April, completed 64 percent of his throws (159-of-250) last fall for 2,263 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Scout.com, which ranks Phillips 42nd nationally among all quarterbacks and gave him a three stars (out of five) rating, lists his 40-yard dash time at 4.55 seconds, explaining to some degree why he was also able to amass 1,885 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns on 240 attempts for a robust 7.9 average.

"The production the kid put up in high school is just phenomenal," said Bob Lichtenfels, a Midwest regional recruiting analyst and manager for Scout.com. "He has an above average arm, and he's poised in the pocket. Usually, it's tough to find guys who are poised in the pocket and can hurt you with their legs. He has both. Anytime you can get talent like that out of Tennessee is a big get for Wisconsin."

Phillips gave his verbal commitment to Wisconsin last summer following an unofficial visit. He timed his official visit in conjunction with the Badgers' season-opening win over Washington State on Sept. 1 at Camp Randall Stadium.

Recruited by Badgers offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, Phillips comes in grouped with Neenah offensive lineman Peter Konz and Menasha defensive lineman Tyler Westphal as being UW's only four-star recruits as deemed by Rivals.com.

"I think Wisconsin, you're always going to have your stud running backs," said Phillips, who carried a 3.75 grade point average in high school and hopes to major in kinesiology. "The running backs are going to run the ball, and the quarterbacks are going to throw it. It's a fun offense. I think I fit in pretty well."

So, too, does Haynie.

"I would never want to say a young kid coming in there is going to be a for-sure starter," he said. "I know what it takes to get used to the speed, the system and college life. But he's got a great opportunity, and I think when he leaves there he'll definitely be a heck of a football player."

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