Andru Phillips Confirms there's an NFL Pipeline from the Kentucky Secondary

Mark Stoops rose up the coaching ranks as a developer of defensive backs. The second half of his head coaching tenure at Kentucky has featured NFL star power. Andru Phillips is seeking to become the sixth Kentucky defensive back drafted over the last six seasons.

He came to Kentucky as a low three-star prospect from South Carolina. He’s leaving as arguably the top slot cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft. That’s not the only position Phillips played at Kentucky, which he believes makes him more valuable in the pre-Draft process.

“I can play both corners, as well as the nickel spot and both safeties if I need to,” he said Thursday morning at the NFL Combine. “I know a lot of teams, they’re not just looking for one guy to play corner but a guy that can play all five, and I can bring that. It makes a defense a lot more confusing to be able to study.”

This week Phillips is putting his skills to the test at the NFL Combine. In addition to tomorrow’s on-field drills, he’s had informal meetings with every NFL team. Phillips participated in formal interviews with the San Francisco 49ers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Philadelphia Eagles.

Recent Kentucky NFL Draft Success

For the second straight year, some Kentucky fans were surprised when a starting cornerback announced his departure for the NFL Draft. Carrington Valentine and Andru Phillips each had some eye-opening moments, but were they actually ready to go to the NFL and leave college eligibility on the table?

The gamble worked for Valentine. The day three NFL Draft selection started in 12 games as a rookie for the Green Bay Packers, tallying 44 tackles and nine pass deflections last fall.

“Definitely seeing him come into the league and in year one go out there and do a lot of things he always talked about that he was going to do, we were in the same room for three years together,” said Phillips. “Seeing that, it influenced me to go out there and do it as well.”

After an exceptional week at the Senior Bowl, Phillips is on track to be selected much higher than Valentine. The former credited Chris Collins, who recently signed a contract extension, for getting his players ready for the next step on Sundays.

“Coach Collins knows what he’s doing, man. Being around him for three years, he’s impressive. He knows what he’s talking about, and at the same time, he’s a great teacher within the game. Each year he’s prepared me more and more to get to this stage. It’s trickling down to the young guys. He’s bringing a good culture to Kentucky in that DB room.”

Who’s Next for the Wildcats?

The early departures have created unexpected voids in the Kentucky defensive back depth chart. Last offseason Kentucky added a pair of players from the transfer portal, JQ Hardaway and Jantzen Dunn. Phillips believes they’re on the verge of a breakthrough.

“You see them from January to January of this year before I left, it’s night and day how much they’ve grown since being in the facilities,” said Phillips. “It’s just growing up and getting ready to eventually be starters in the SEC and I think this next year they’re going to take off and it’s going to show all of the preparation they put in this past year.”

The streak of Kentucky defensive backs in the NFL isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Another former low three-star prospect burst onto the scene last fall and is poised to be a coveted prospect during next year’s NFL Draft.

“Maxwell Hairston will be here next year,” said Phillips. “He’s going to kill this process.”

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