Texas A&M’s frontcourt is getting a fresh look, and Cade Phillips is right in the middle of it.
As the Aggies gear up for the 2026-2027 season, they’re trying to build on a debut year under Bucky McMillan that turned plenty of heads. Picked to finish near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference in 2025, Texas A&M ended up sixth in the league and punched its ticket to the NCAA tournament.
A big part of that run came from Rashaun Agee, whose size and production gave the Aggies a real anchor inside. He was good enough to earn All-SEC honors, but his eligibility is gone now, and McMillan has turned to the portal to replace what he brought to College Station.
That search led Texas A&M to Tennessee transfer Cade Phillips, a 6-foot-9 forward who arrives with a chance to carve out a major role. He also comes in wearing the same No. 12 jersey Agee wore, but the fit is about more than the number.
Phillips’ best case for the Aggies comes from his sophomore season. In 38 starts during the 2024-2025 campaign, he shot 63% from the field and piled up 134 rebounds along with 33 blocks. He was also a starter in his junior season with Tennessee before an early injury ended that year before it really got going.
The numbers don’t match Agee’s production at Texas A&M, and that’s part of the challenge here. Phillips averaged just under five points per game, while Agee finished at 14.6. Still, McMillan’s system can give defense-first players room to make an impact on offense, and Phillips should get that same chance.
He won’t be asked to carry the scoring load. Instead, he looks more like a piece who helps everything else work. That matters even more with another wave of transfers coming in, because the Aggies are once again building around a roster full of newcomers.
Phillips will also be working alongside a talented guard group, with PJ Haggerty and Jordan Pope coming in after being among the top contributors for Kansas State and Texas, respectively, last season. Mackenzie Mgbako is also back to full strength and fits the kind of forward McMillan likes to lean on heavily.
Whether Phillips starts or comes off the bench, McMillan has shown he’s willing to go deep into his rotation, and every player on this roster has a defined job. For Phillips, the opportunity is clear: help steady the frontcourt, support Mgbako, and bring more to the table than just defense.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Fans Got Robbed Of The Blackout Stage They Wanted
Texas A&Ms annual Operation Blackout was supposed to have the kind of stage that matches the buildup, but the Southeastern Conference has instead slotted the Nov. 14 game against Tennessee into an afternoon window. Depending on how earlier games shake out, kickoff will land at either 3 p.m. ET on ESPN or 4:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network, a setup that takes some of the drama out of what had been expected to be a later start.
For Aggies fans, it is a frustrating piece of scheduling because this is the sort of game that usually benefits from a night atmosphere and the full effect of the blackout look. The SECs decision also stands out because other matchups with less obvious appeal appear positioned for more favorable time slots, leaving Texas A&M with a marquee home game that wont quite get the stage many around College Station were hoping for. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&Ms 5-Star WR Commit Opens Up About His Road Back
Eric McFarlands road back has already become part of the story for Texas A&Ms 2027 recruiting class. The five-star wide receiver, who committed to the Aggies, suffered an ACL tear in September and recently had surgery, a setback that would test any high school prospect with this much attention on him. Even so, McFarland has stayed focused on getting healthy and on the chance to eventually bring his game to College Station.
For Texas A&M, the encouraging part is that McFarlands commitment has held through the injury, and he has the backing of offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins as he works through the recovery process. The next checkpoint comes next month, when McFarland is expected to sign with the Aggies, giving the program another reminder that the long game still matters in recruiting, especially with a talent this highly regarded. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Faces A Brutal Test In Another Tough SEC Spot
Texas A&M is heading into another difficult SEC checkpoint Saturday afternoon, this time against a South Carolina team that has quietly put together three straight conference wins and climbed to No. 23 in the AP Top 25. The matchup is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN, and the numbers already hint at the challenge ahead, with the Aggies entering as a seven-point underdog in ESPN FPI projections.
The timing is not ideal for a Texas A&M team still trying to steady itself after recent losses to ranked opponents, and the issues have been hard to miss on both sides of the ball. The defense has struggled to generate consistent pass rush, while the offense has faced questions about the game planning under its coordinator, leaving the Aggies with another tough SEC spot and plenty to clean up before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]