Roster Rundown: No. 25 Andru Phillips
Cats Illustrated's Roster Rundown series marches right on, today reaching No. 25 on the roster: Defensive back Andru Phillips.
The Wildcats have plenty of proven depth in the secondary so Phillips may be a player that some could overlook this season. But he continues to work behind the scenes, readying himself to be one of the next in line in an increasingly prestigious UK secondary unit.
Background: Phillips was a Louisville, Ky., native who moved with his family to South Carolina and eventually ended up committing to the Wildcats, returning to his home area. He was one of Kentucky's earlier commitments from the 2020 recruiting class, pledging before the end of his junior year of high school and never wavering.
Phillips went on to turn in one of the better camp performances from a player who worked out in Lexington. He ended the recruiting cycle as the No. 7 player in South Carolina, the No. 38 cornerback in the Class of 2020, and a high three-star (5.7 Rivals Rating).
Colorado, Kansas, Louisville, NC State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and Virginia Tech were some of the other schools that offered Phillips over the course of his recruitment.
Phillips participated in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas after the conclusion of his senior year of high school. He was a 5A all-state selection in the Palmetto State as a senior.
He was widely regarded as a natural fit with the UK program because his father, Carlos Phillips, played football for Kentucky in the 1980s.
2020 Outlook: Kentucky returns Brandin Echols, Cedrick Dort, and Jamari Brown at cornerback. The Wildcats also add LSU transfer Kelvin Joseph to the rotation this year, and he figures to have a starting position locked down. Between those players it seems safe to say that Kentucky has very solid depth at cornerback. For that reason, Phillips will not be expected to need to take on a starting-level role in 2020. However, we all know that depth can be tested quickly. Phillips was very highly regarded by people close to the program when he was a prospect and there's no reason to believe that has dwindled in the year-plus he has been with the program. A full spring practice schedule would have helped but Phillips is probably on a track that would put him in line for some spot duty this year and a bigger role after that.
On UK's official roster some players are listed as a cornerback, others as a safety, and still others with the generic, more all-encompassing "defensive back" label. That's the category Phillips falls into, although he was recruited as a corner.