Rivals100 LB Jacob Phillips recaps his Notre Dame official visit

Class of 2017 Rivals100 linebacker Jacob Phillips has been racking up quite a bit of frequent flier miles after trips to Oregon and Oklahoma to start the season. He continued his travels with a trip to South Bend, Ind. this past weekend and by all accounts enjoyed himself quite a bit at Notre Dame.

"The atmosphere was great, It was a great game and I had a good time," said Phillips, the nation's No. 2 inside linebacker and No. 37 overall player. "It was a night game and the fans were really into it when Notre Dame was trying to come back. We were by the student section, they were right behind us and they had a bunch of chants and stuff like that. You could just tell the tradition that is associated with Notre Dame football and how important it is to the fans."

Even though Notre Dame didn't come away with the win, the Irish coaches made it clear to Phillips that he's exactly the type of player that can help the team in big games over the next four years.

"The coaches told me they really want me and to look at what they did against Michigan State and see how I could help and how they need me," Phillips said. "They want guys who are really good so they can get over the hump and win a championship. They think me coming there would help them and if I came in ready they could use me all over right from the start."

In addition to the message about how Phillips could help the Irish on the field, players, coaches and academic faculty all pitched the same message of how being a Notre Dame student-athlete can pay dividends after football is over as well.

"The message was not to just base my decision on football because I'm only going to playing that for a certain amount of time in my life," Phillips said. "Coach VanGorder was telling me to base it off the rest of your life and how it can be with a degree from there. My host [freshman linebacker] Jonathan Jones told me the same thing. It's all about taking this opportunity because after college you have a degree that can set you up for life."

Phillips got to spend quite a bit of time with Irish defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder and the two had extended talks about Phillips fit in the defense as well as how he can help him get to the next level.

"Coach VanGorder is pretty intense but a lot of the other players told me that he's the type of coach that actually cares about his players," Phillips said. "He will be honest with you and tell you the truth. He loves my measurables and my skills and he's an NFL guy so he wants to teach you how to suceed and get to the next level and have success there as well."

Phillips, who made the trip with his parents, said his biggest takeaway was the Notre Dame brand and how it resonates nationwide.

"You get to play on a huge stage, national TV every week, after you graduate you have a huge alumni base all over the country that can set you up with opportunities in the business world," he said. "That plays a key factor because it's important to me and I want to have those opportunities after football is over."

Phillips has now visited Oregon, Oklahoma and Notre Dame in successive weeks and recently scrapped plans to visit LSU this upcoming weekend. His next official visit is scheduled for Alabama when the Tide host Kentucky on Oct. 1.