Meet the next LSU 5-star cornerback for "DBU": Kade Phillips

LSU secondary coach Corey Raymond‘s return to Baton Rouge brought with it a plan on the recruiting trail.

Rebuild DBU: a moniker Raymond helped establish after a decade spent coaching defensive backs at his alma mater.

Raymond delivered after being hired in January, putting together arguably the best cornerbacks class in America – one now headlined by two 5-star prospects.

Florida’s DJ Pickett was already a 5-star+ prospect, but he’s got company now.

Kade Phillips, who flipped his commitment from Texas to LSU ahead of his senior season at Hightower High, had long been a top target for Raymond, one sources described as a “must-get” for the Tigers this cycle.

Why Raymond held Phillips – who he deemed a cornerback despite being ranked as a safety – has become clear between his play on the field and abilities on the track.

On Monday, On3’s updated rankings moved Phillips up again. This time, he was awarded his fifth star and named the No. 4 cornerback prospect in the 2025 class.

“Kade Phillips has some of the best physical traits we’ve seen at the corner position in the 2025 cycle,” On3 National Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power said. “This is a guy who has elite length and a big frame. At that size, he can really move. He was a state finalist in the long jump in Texas, and you see that athleticism on the field.

“We really like him as a corner. He has position versatility with the ability to play corner or safety at the next level, but we feel like the length and speed and ball skills he shows as a two-way player at the high school level really translates well to corner.” 

With Raymond back in Baton Rouge, Phillips becomes the latest 5-star cornerback set to play for the longtime secondary coach, joining a list of former Tigers who were ranked as 5-star cornerbacks like Tre’Davious White, Derek Stingley Jr., Kristian Fulton, Donte Jackson and more.

In the eyes of the On3 rankings team, Phillips paired with Pickett is the 1-2 punch Raymond needed in a cycle when the Tigers are searching for instant impact players beyond the addition of LSU commit Aidan Anding, a 4-star who checks in as Louisiana’s top-ranked cornerback.

“He’s obviously at a position of need for the Tigers, and it’s a premium position being cornerback. Pairing Kade Phillips with DJ Pickett certainly gives LSU one of the top cornerback tandems among commits in the 2025 cycle,” Power said.

Now, Phillips is two weeks out from the Early Signing Period and a little more than a month out from moving to Baton Rouge and joining LSU’s team ahead of next season – which will give the talented multi-sport athlete, who was a state finalist in the long jump as a junior, the chance to join the team for workouts and compete in spring practices.

For LSU fans, don’t be surprised if Phillips is on the field early and often next fall as Raymond rebuilds the cornerback room in Baton Rouge.

“Kade has the dimensions, athleticism and skill level fitting of a five-star corner,” Power said. “At 6-foot-0.5, 180 pounds with elite length and track athleticism, Phillips is one of the more physically-gifted corners in a strong cycle at the position. He’s played very well as a two-way player this fall, showing some of the best ball skills among the corner group nationally. Phillips has made a number of impressive contested catch grabs as a receiver in addition to three interceptions on defense. The former safety is also a physical presence in the run game.

“Given his physical and athletic traits along with the on-field skill set, we felt Phillips has assembled the profile of a five-star corner prospect.”