With the transfer portal such a big part of college sports now, it always hurts to see players leave, especially guys who played key roles. Cade Phillips began last season as Tennessee’s starting power forward, but a lingering shoulder injury cut his year short and led to season-ending surgery.
Tennessee’s portal success continues, but Rick Barnes still has two major roster needs
After the end of the season, Phillips decided to enter the transfer portal, which wasn’t a total surprise. He has strong ties to Alabama, as his father was a former Crimson Tide quarterback and his mother played guard on the women’s basketball team. Because of that, many expected him to end up in Tuscaloosa, but in a surprising turn of events, Phillips is heading to College Station to play for Texas A&M.
BREAKING: Tennessee transfer forward Cade Phillips has committed to Texas A&M, @JoeTipton reports👍https://t.co/vRKs7SuPGb pic.twitter.com/nMRGmU5uG3
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 16, 2026
Cade Phillips stays in the SEC, commits to Texas A&M
This is a solid get for A&M's second-year head coach, Bucky McMillian. Phillips has one more year of eligibility left and plays a style that coaches love. He plays great interior defense and rebounds the basketball at a solid rate. While not a shooter, he can finish at the hoop, but he will never be the focal point of an offense, especially a potent one like Texas A&M's.
It’s too bad Phillips didn’t finish his career in Knoxville, but that’s becoming less and less common in today’s game. It’s also a bit of a gut punch to see him commit to an SEC rival in the process. Sure, it’s better than him going to Alabama, but Texas A&M is still far from a Tennessee ally.
Hopefully, it works out for him, as I’m sure, like Jaylen Carey, he’ll have a revenge mindset when he plays Tennessee and will look to prove Rick Barnes wrong. The Tennessee game will no doubt be circled on his calendar.
Add us as a preferred source on Google