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Part Iron Chef, part fortune teller, Victor Santa Cruz was the first to envision a former Stanford linebacker as a future University of Hawaii tight end.
Santa Cruz is no longer with the UH football team’s coaching staff, but his legacy is 6-foot-5, 230-pound Caleb Phillips. Entering this weekend, Phillips’ 138 receiving yards against New Mexico State last week were the most by an FBS tight end this season. That single-game total was the most for a UH tight end since a man first walked on the moon.
“Caleb can do a lot, especially in the type of offense we want to play,” UH head coach Timmy Chang said.
It all began after Phillips, an outside linebacker with Stanford, decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal in January 2021. Santa Cruz, who was a UH defensive assistant coach at the time, was intrigued with Phillips’ frame.
After reviewing videos, Santa Cruz reached out to high school coaches who remembered Phillips as a 190-pound, two-way player at Solana Beach High in San Diego. Santa Cruz asked Phillips to submit a video of his route running. Kevin Hogan, a backup quarterback with the Cincinnati Bengals and Stanford graduate, threw passes to Phillips while a Solana Beach coach shot video. “The rest is history,” Phillips said.
In a recruiting meeting with UH coaches, Santa Cruz’s recommendation was enthusiastically approved. Santa Cruz benefited from his moneyball experience at his previous job as Division II Azusa Pacific’s head coach.
“Coming from my background, you’ve got to figure out body types and forecast them,” Santa Cruz said. “I had to find talent anywhere. … I would have never won a game at APU if I went with what was on the shelf.”
Phillips was re-energized with the switch to offense.
“I loved my time at Stanford, but by the time I was graduating, I was feeling a little burnt out,” Phillips said. “I honestly thought I was done with football. I decided to enter my name in the portal, and Hawaii was the only team that asked me to play tight end. … I figured I spent four years at linebacker, and it didn’t work out as planned. Let’s see this. Now I wish I switched over years ago. It’s been great out here. I couldn’t ask for a better experience. The guys are amazing.”
Under the 2021 UH staff, Phillips said he learned the fundamentals from offensive line coach Sam Bennett and offensive coordinator Bo Graham. Phillips said his growth at the position expanded dramatically under Chang, who was hired as head coach in January, and offensive coordinator Ian Shoemaker.
“When it comes to route running, having Coach Chang here has been huge,” Phillips said of the former record-setting quarterback. “I’ve been able to develop my route running tremendously since last year. He really knows his stuff. He really breaks it down. He really harps on fundamentals and techniques. It’s been great for the tight ends and receiving corps.”
Phillips aligns attached to the line, in the slot, or as a backfield blocker. He can be in motion ahead of the snap, or improvise based on the defensive look. Of his blocking, Phillips said, “it’s all about footwork. Your first step is key. If you don’t have a good first step, it’s hard to win your one-on-one matchup.”
Phillips said it was helpful defending former Stanford tight ends — Colby Parkinson with the Seattle Seahawks, Dalton Schultz with the Dallas Cowboys — during practices. “I never thought (back then) I’d be taking things from those guys now,” Phillips said. “I feel that helped.”
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