2025 Football Roster
Roster
LB
/ FootballWR
/ FootballCB
/ FootballQB
/ FootballQB
/ FootballS
/ FootballWR
/ FootballS
/ FootballCB
/ FootballWR
/ FootballS
/ FootballDL
/ FootballRB
/ FootballWR
/ FootballLB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballTE
/ FootballWR
/ FootballS
/ FootballLB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballWR
/ FootballWR
/ FootballS
/ FootballWR
/ FootballS
/ FootballWR
/ FootballS
/ FootballQB
/ FootballCB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballCB
/ FootballQB
/ FootballWR
/ FootballS
/ FootballS
/ FootballRB
/ FootballCB
/ FootballS
/ FootballDL
/ FootballRB
/ FootballRB
/ FootballDL
/ FootballRB
/ FootballCB
/ FootballDL
/ FootballCB
/ FootballRB
/ FootballDL
/ FootballS
/ FootballS
/ FootballLB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballDB
/ FootballS
/ FootballDL
/ FootballLB/S
/ FootballLB
/ FootballCB
/ FootballP
/ FootballLS
/ FootballLB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballTE
/ FootballDL
/ FootballLB
/ FootballLS
/ FootballDL
/ FootballDB
/ FootballK
/ FootballLB
/ FootballK
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballDL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballK
/ FootballWR
/ FootballWR
/ FootballWR
/ FootballWR
/ FootballTE
/ FootballDL
/ FootballP
/ FootballTE
/ FootballWR
/ FootballDL
/ FootballDL
/ FootballDL
/ FootballDL
/ FootballDL
/ FootballDL
/ Football
Jersey Number 7
Zakari Tillman
- Position:
- LB
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- 235
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Florence, Miss.
- High School/Previous School:
- Florence HS
Career Honors
2025 Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC (4th Team, LB)
Career Notes
Played in 35 career games with 11 starts … Following the 2025 season, has earned 82 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick and two interceptions.
2025 (Junior Season)
Played in 12 games with 10 starts … Totaled 47 tackles, three TFLs, 1 pass breakup, one forced fumble, one sack and one interception … Finished sixth on the team in tackles … His 47 tackles were a career-high … Did not play in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl due to injury … at Southern Miss (8/30): logged at least one tackle in 13 consecutive games dating back to the 2023 season ... vs Arizona State (9/6): Earned a new career high of seven tackles in the Bulldogs victory over the Sun Devils ... vs Tennessee (9/27): Registered his first sack of the season ... Secured a pivotal interception in the fourth quarter ... led the team in tackles for loss with two ... tied for second on the team in tackles during the game ... at Texas A&M (10/4): third game this season with a tackle for loss ... at Florida (10/18): earned another start to make it his seventh in a row ... at Arkansas (11/1): recorded his first forced fumble of the year ... at Missouri (11/15): tied his career high in QB hurries ... tied his career high in pass breakups.
2024 (Sophomore Season)
Played in 12 games with one start … Recorded 30 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one interception and one blocked field goal … Led the team in sacks … Only player on the team with a multi-sack game (at Ole Miss) … Eastern Kentucky (8/31): Recorded six tackles against the Colonels, three were solo tackles and three were assisted … Finished third on the team in tackles … Earned a tackle grade of 81.3 which ranked as the eighth best tackle grade in the SEC by linebackers ... Florida (9/21): Recorded three total tackles, two solo and one assisted ... at Texas (9/28): Made his first career start … recorded two tackles, one solo and one assisted … Earned a half tackle for loss and a half sack in the contest, both were career firsts for Tillman … had a pass break up … recovered a fumble … Blocked the first punt of his career (second blocked punt for Mississippi State on the season) ... at Georgia (10/12): Recorded three tackles, two solo and one assisted ... Texas A&M (10/19): Earned his first career interception … Did not record any tackles ... Arkansas (10/26): Recorded two tackles, one solo and one assisted … Recorded his first QB hurry of the season … Earned his first career forced fumble ... UMass (11/2): Recorded five tackles, one solo and four assisted … Had one pass break up ... at Tennessee (11/9): Recorded one solo tackle ... vs. Missouri (11/23): Recorded three solo tackles … Had one tackle for loss … Had one sack … at Ole Miss (11/29): Recorded five tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.
2023 (True Freshman Season)
Appeared in 11 games, primarily on special teams … Recorded five tackles on the year … Played 99 snaps, with 82 coming on special teams ... SE Louisiana (9/2): Made his collegiate debut ... Collected a pair of tackles ... LSU (9/16): Had two tackles … Alabama (9/30): Recorded a tackle.
High School
Prepped at Florence High School under head coach Rod Davis … Three-star prospect by 247Sports and On3 … No. 22 prospect in the state of Mississippi by On3 Consensus and the No. 27 prospect state-wide by 247Sports … Had 57 total tackles, including 35 solo stops … Registered 13.0 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, a pass breakup and two QB hurries … Offensively, he caught 12 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown … Selected to play in the 2022 Bernard Blackwell North/South All-Star Game.
Personal
Son of Joezon Darby and LaTonia Tillman … Major is Undeclared.
Career-Highs Entering 2026
Tackles: 7, 2x, last at Arkansas (11/1/2025)
Tackles for Loss: 2.0, at Ole Miss (11/29/2024)
Sacks: 2.0, 2x, last vs. Tennessee (9/27/2025)
Interceptions: 1, 2x, last vs. Tennessee (9/27/2025)
Pass Breakups: 1, 3x, at Missouri (11/15/2025)
Forced Fumble: 1, 2x, last at Arkansas (11/1/2025)
Fumble Recoveries: 1, at Texas (09/28/2024)
2025 Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC (4th Team, LB)
Career Notes
Played in 35 career games with 11 starts … Following the 2025 season, has earned 82 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick and two interceptions.
2025 (Junior Season)
Played in 12 games with 10 starts … Totaled 47 tackles, three TFLs, 1 pass breakup, one forced fumble, one sack and one interception … Finished sixth on the team in tackles … His 47 tackles were a career-high … Did not play in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl due to injury … at Southern Miss (8/30): logged at least one tackle in 13 consecutive games dating back to the 2023 season ... vs Arizona State (9/6): Earned a new career high of seven tackles in the Bulldogs victory over the Sun Devils ... vs Tennessee (9/27): Registered his first sack of the season ... Secured a pivotal interception in the fourth quarter ... led the team in tackles for loss with two ... tied for second on the team in tackles during the game ... at Texas A&M (10/4): third game this season with a tackle for loss ... at Florida (10/18): earned another start to make it his seventh in a row ... at Arkansas (11/1): recorded his first forced fumble of the year ... at Missouri (11/15): tied his career high in QB hurries ... tied his career high in pass breakups.
2024 (Sophomore Season)
Played in 12 games with one start … Recorded 30 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one interception and one blocked field goal … Led the team in sacks … Only player on the team with a multi-sack game (at Ole Miss) … Eastern Kentucky (8/31): Recorded six tackles against the Colonels, three were solo tackles and three were assisted … Finished third on the team in tackles … Earned a tackle grade of 81.3 which ranked as the eighth best tackle grade in the SEC by linebackers ... Florida (9/21): Recorded three total tackles, two solo and one assisted ... at Texas (9/28): Made his first career start … recorded two tackles, one solo and one assisted … Earned a half tackle for loss and a half sack in the contest, both were career firsts for Tillman … had a pass break up … recovered a fumble … Blocked the first punt of his career (second blocked punt for Mississippi State on the season) ... at Georgia (10/12): Recorded three tackles, two solo and one assisted ... Texas A&M (10/19): Earned his first career interception … Did not record any tackles ... Arkansas (10/26): Recorded two tackles, one solo and one assisted … Recorded his first QB hurry of the season … Earned his first career forced fumble ... UMass (11/2): Recorded five tackles, one solo and four assisted … Had one pass break up ... at Tennessee (11/9): Recorded one solo tackle ... vs. Missouri (11/23): Recorded three solo tackles … Had one tackle for loss … Had one sack … at Ole Miss (11/29): Recorded five tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.
2023 (True Freshman Season)
Appeared in 11 games, primarily on special teams … Recorded five tackles on the year … Played 99 snaps, with 82 coming on special teams ... SE Louisiana (9/2): Made his collegiate debut ... Collected a pair of tackles ... LSU (9/16): Had two tackles … Alabama (9/30): Recorded a tackle.
High School
Prepped at Florence High School under head coach Rod Davis … Three-star prospect by 247Sports and On3 … No. 22 prospect in the state of Mississippi by On3 Consensus and the No. 27 prospect state-wide by 247Sports … Had 57 total tackles, including 35 solo stops … Registered 13.0 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, a pass breakup and two QB hurries … Offensively, he caught 12 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown … Selected to play in the 2022 Bernard Blackwell North/South All-Star Game.
Personal
Son of Joezon Darby and LaTonia Tillman … Major is Undeclared.
Career-Highs Entering 2026
Tackles: 7, 2x, last at Arkansas (11/1/2025)
Tackles for Loss: 2.0, at Ole Miss (11/29/2024)
Sacks: 2.0, 2x, last vs. Tennessee (9/27/2025)
Interceptions: 1, 2x, last vs. Tennessee (9/27/2025)
Pass Breakups: 1, 3x, at Missouri (11/15/2025)
Forced Fumble: 1, 2x, last at Arkansas (11/1/2025)
Fumble Recoveries: 1, at Texas (09/28/2024)
FOOTBALL | Jeff Lebby Postgame vs. Wake Forest
Friday, January 02
FOOTBALL | Jeff Lebby Bowl Practice
Sunday, December 28
FOOTBALL | Fluff Bothwell Bowl Practice
Wednesday, December 17
FOOTBALL | Nic Mitchell Bowl Practice
Wednesday, December 17
