Duke football resorts to unusual recruiting technique

Duke head coach David Cutcliffe must really want a commitment from Omaha, Neb. defensive end Harrison Phillips.

Recruiting pitches come in all shapes and sizes, but very few are the size of the pitch Cutcliffe sent Phillips earlier this week. Phillips tweeted out this picture last Saturday, showing the 115—yes, 115—personal letters that the 6-foot-3 defensive end received from the Blue Devil head coach.

https://twitter.com/horribleharry99/status/335898560459599873

Phillips then tweeted out one of the letters he received from Cutcliffe, which included a photoshopped image of Phillips in a Duke jersey on the scoreboard at Wallace Wade Stadium and another photoshopped image of Phillips' head on Eli Manning's body at the NFL Draft. Two things can be drawn from this pitch: Cutcliffe is not afraid to push the envelope and make a rather outlandish recruiting pitch, and the Duke head coach certainly still believes in snail mail.

https://twitter.com/horribleharry99/status/335900500950147074

The Millard West High School defensive end recorded 122 tackles, including 35 for a loss, and 11 sacks during his junior season. Phillips has received a number of scholarship offers, most notably from Kansas State, Florida Atlantic and Army, but has also received interest from Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska during his recruiting process. Phillips tweeted today that coaches from both Nebraska and UCLA were at his high school.

Cutcliffe already has nine verbal commitments from Class of 2014 players, which Rivals currently ranks as the No. 32 recruiting class in the country.