Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 59-7vs Texas State | 5 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 24-23vs Ohio State | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Total | 11 | 9 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#8
Kade Phillips
Sophomore defensive back on Texas's 2026 roster.
6′0″ · 191 lb · Missouri City, TX · Hightower
CFB Index 37 · #251 of 364 cornersLow confidenceReturning to Texas for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
Recruiting
5★
CB recruit
No. 27 nationally · Signed with Texas
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 defensive back on Texas's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 5-star recruit to Texas in 2025.
Kade Phillips
Erases the deep middle of the field. Second year in the Texas secondary, same address the whole way. The receipt: 6 tackles against Ohio State — Week 2, 2026.
11 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
20258 games
- Signed with Texas5-star out of Fort Bend Hightower
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★★
CFB
College
Texas
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Steve Sarkisian, all balanced offenses — 12-3 over that span.
2025Texas10-3HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced
2026Texas2-0HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidence
Elite: solo tackles (80th percentile). Concern: tackles (27th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 5.5 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Steve Sarkisian
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
37 · #251 of 364 corners
Former five-star. Now #251 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #43 of 57 SEC DBs
How the All-SEC estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 24–23
vs Ohio State
6 TOT · 4 SOLO
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 1 at home.
With A. Manning — 195 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 83.0 · 24 rush yds (8 car) · D. Smothers — 74 rush yds (21 car) · 2 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Texas
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Texas
Returning around him
- 6 Texas players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -6 net (22 in / 28 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Texas · Last season: 10-3 (AP #14) · Talent rank #2 · 2026 recruiting class #7
DNA match
Player DNA
Centerfielder
Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Max Melton’s 2022 season.
76%match
NFL Rd 2 · Pk 11
Matches Max on
Height
PD rate
Weight
Differs from Max on
TFL rate (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Daryus Dixson's freshman season at Penn State (2025).
87%match
Matches Daryus on
Class year
Weight
TFL rate
Background
A second-year defensive back who has played in 12 career games and started in three ... named to the 2025-26 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll. FRESHMAN (2025) Made collegiate debut vs. San Jose State (9/6) and recorded a pass break-up ... logged one solo tackle vs. UTEP (9/13) ... credited with...
The secondary · Texas
- #4Jelani McDonald80 tackles · 2025
- #5Bo Mascoe48 tackles · 2025
- #29Graceson Littleton46 tackles · 2025
- #2Derek Williams Jr.23 tackles · 2025
- #8Kade Phillips22 tackles · 2025
16 more on the roster · Texas team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology