True Sophomore Justin Phillips Confirms he is Redshirting

At the beginning of the season, there was chatter that due to the incredible depth in the linebacker room, there was a chance that true sophomores would be redshirting this year. Candidates like Dylan Harding, Kirk Tucker, and Justin Phillips were all names that were mentioned.

Tucker has been a special teams enforcer this season, while Harding has seen time in the secondary rotation at safety along with special teams.

Phillips, however, confirmed on his instagram account that he is redshirting this year – something many believed was the case.

https://instagram.com/p/78BSPPIIBN/

When asked on instagram how he was doing (presumably from a friend), his response was: “I’m cooling, redshirting this year”

That’s a BIG dude to sit out, so the depth at linebacker is clearly a huge strength this season as compared to last year. Phillips was a four-star prospect from Pearland, Texas who was forced into action early as a freshman due to lack of depth at his position. By sitting out this year, he will have a chance to grow both physically and, with Glenn Spencer as the linebacker coach, mentally as well. I would expect him to return as a force next season.