Miami defensive end Jaelan Phillips, a projected first-round pick, will enter the NFL draft, according to multiple reports Friday night.
Phillips, a redshirt junior, excelled in his one season playing for the Hurricanes, finishing with eight sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss among his 45 stops. He has signed with an agent, according to the Miami Herald, ending a chance for him to compete with No. 18 Miami (8-2) in a to-be-determined bowl game.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. this week rated Phillips as the No. 12 overall prospect for the 2021 draft, writing, “Phillips has a great frame for a 4-3 defensive end, and I really like his all-around game. In a class desperate for pass-rushers, I could see him being the first edge defender off the board.”
Kiper ranks Phillips (6-5, 266) as the draft’s top defensive end, followed by Miami’s Gregory Rousseau, who opted out of the 2020 season.
Phillips was the top-rated high school recruit in the 2017 class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. He spent his first two college seasons at UCLA, often battling injuries, before sitting out the 2019 season at Miami due to NCAA transfer rules.