Bio

SENIOR (2016):

• Played in all 12 games with 11 starts at defensive end
• All-Big Ten first team (media), the first Illinois first-team selection since 2011
• All-Big Ten honorable mention (coaches)
• Phil Steele All-Big Ten second team
• 56 tackles, 20.0 TFLs, 9.0 sacks, 3 qb hurries, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
• Tied Simeon Rice (1994) and Moe Gardner (1989) for the fifth-most TFLs in an Illinois season (20.0)
• Seventh in the nation, second in the Big Ten in TFLs per game (1.7) during the regular season
• 26th in the nation, fourth in the Big Ten in sacks per game (0.75) during the regular season
• Second in the nation in solo TFLs (19) during the regular season
• 12th in the nation in solo sacks (9) during the regular season
• Fourth in the Big Ten in TFLs during conference game (11.0)
• Eighth in the Big Ten in sacks during conference games (5.0)
• 2.0+ TFLs in six of 12 games
• Career-high 3.5 TFLs vs. North Carolina
• Career-high 2.0 sacks vs. Western Michigan
• Forced fumble at Michigan
• Sack on the final defensive play to clinch the victory over Michigan State

JUNIOR (2015):

• Played in all 12 games, including three starts on defensive line
• 26 tackles (13 solo), 4.5 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, two PBUs, five QB hurries and one fumble recovery on season
• Career-high 11 tackles vs. Ohio State
• Career-high 2.0 sacks vs. Wisconsin, tied for the most by an Illini in a 2015 game
• PBUs in back-to-back games against Purdue and Ohio State

SOPHOMORE (2014):

• Played in the first seven games of the season as a situational pass rusher, totaling six tackles, two QB hurries, one sack, one TFL and recovering one fumble
• Missed the last six games of the season due to injury
• Posted his first career fumble recovery at Washington
• Posted two tackles and a sack in his Illini debut against Youngstown State

JUNIOR COLLEGE:

• Three-star recruit by ESPN.com, Rivals and 247Sports
• Ranked the No. 12 junior college outside linebacker by ESPN.com and No. 13 by 247Sports
• Played in eight games in 2013 totaling 50 tackles, eight TFLs, four sacks, three pass break-ups, one interception returned for a touchdown and one fumble recovery

HIGH SCHOOL:

• A high school senior in 2011, he originally signed with Cincinnati when current Illini defensive coordinator Tim Banks was the DC for the Bearcats
• Helped lead Miami Central to 2010 Florida Class 6A state championship with a 14-1 record
• Had three tackles and a sack in the championship game

PERSONAL:

• Born Sept. 2, 1992
• Son of Carroll Phillips and Ta-Taneisha Brown
• Has three brothers and one sister
• Cousin is rapper Luther Campbell
• Says his favorite athlete is Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker and Miami native Sean Spence
• Majoring in sociology