2026 Football Roster

Taylor Newton
Taylor Newton

Colton Phares

  • Position Linebacker
  • Height 6-2
  • Weight 225
  • Class Redshirt Junior
  • Hometown Beaufort, S.C.
  • High School Beaufort

Biography

2025: All-Sun Belt second-team performer … Started and appeared in all 13 games … Leading tackler for App State with 101 tackles to go along with 9.5 tackles for loss, a team-leading three interceptions, two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, three pass breakups and two quarterback hurries … One of just three players nationally with at least 100 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and three interceptions (joined by Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez and Central Michigan’s Jordan Kwiatkowski) … Forced and recovered fumble on same play with 55 seconds left in App State territory to seal 26-24 victory against Marshall … Set career high with 12 tackles in the JLab Birmingham Bowl … Had 11 tackles vs. Coastal Carolina, then had 11 more at ODU … Had 10 tackles, a fourth-quarter interception in the end zone and an assisted tackle on fourth-and-goal stop from the 1 in the final two minutes of the Oregon State win.

2024: Appeared in all 11 games, contributing at both safety and linebacker … Recorded six tackles … Had a season-high three tackles against South Alabama.

2023: Did not appear in any games as a redshirting true freshman.

High School: All-state honoree was MVP of South Carolina’s North-South All-Star game … State champion in football and wrestling while also making the all-state team in track ... Safety had 69 tackles, four interceptions, nine pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one sack and five tackles for loss as a senior for a 13-1 team that won a Class 3-A state title (first state title since 1945) … Also dangerous with the ball in his hands, returned 11 punts for 363 yards with three touchdowns and 14 kickoffs for 388 yards with one touchdown … Rushed 49 times for 598 yards with six touchdowns and caught 19 passes for 349 yards with four touchdowns … Also kicked field goals for Beaufort … Scored two touchdowns while rushing for 198 yards, made seven tackles and broke up one pass in a 41-31 victory in the state championship game … Helped lead Beaufort to a state runner-up finish during a 12-3 season as a junior … Rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports ... Born Sept. 20, 2004.

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 2022-23Freshman

    Safety
    6'2" 185 lbs
  • 34

    2023Freshman

    Safety
    6'2" 195 lbs
    34
  • 10

    2024Redshirt Freshman

    Safety
    6'2" 205 lbs
    10
  • 10

    2025Redshirt Sophomore

    Linebacker
    6'2" 225 lbs
    10
  • 2026Redshirt Junior

    Linebacker
    6'2" 225 lbs