2023 Football Roster
Roster
Tillman, Zakari

Jersey Number 16
Zakari Tillman
- Position:
- LB
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- 225
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Florence, Miss.
- High School/Previous School:
- Florence HS
Bio
Career Honors
2025 Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC (4th Team, LB)
Career Notes
Played in 23 career games with one start … Following the 2024 season, Tillman had earned 35 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.
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
Born Zakari Demarcus Tillman on Sept. 19, 2004 … Son of Joezon Darby and LaTonia Tillman … Major is Undeclared.
Social Media
X/Twitter – @ynlzee
Instagram – franchisekari
Career-Highs Entering 2025
Tackles: 6, vs. Eastern Kentucky (08/31/2024)
Tackles for Loss: 2.0, at Ole Miss (11/29/2024)
Sacks: 2.0, at Ole Miss (11/29/2024)
QB Hurries: 1, vs. Arkansas (10/26/2024)
Interceptions: 1, vs. Texas A&M (10/19/2024)
Pass Breakups: 1, 2x, vs. UMass (11/02/2024)
Forced Fumble: 1, vs. Arkansas (10/26/2024)
Fumble Recoveries: 1, at Texas (09/28/2024)
2025 Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC (4th Team, LB)
Career Notes
Played in 23 career games with one start … Following the 2024 season, Tillman had earned 35 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.
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
Born Zakari Demarcus Tillman on Sept. 19, 2004 … Son of Joezon Darby and LaTonia Tillman … Major is Undeclared.
Social Media
X/Twitter – @ynlzee
Instagram – franchisekari
Career-Highs Entering 2025
Tackles: 6, vs. Eastern Kentucky (08/31/2024)
Tackles for Loss: 2.0, at Ole Miss (11/29/2024)
Sacks: 2.0, at Ole Miss (11/29/2024)
QB Hurries: 1, vs. Arkansas (10/26/2024)
Interceptions: 1, vs. Texas A&M (10/19/2024)
Pass Breakups: 1, 2x, vs. UMass (11/02/2024)
Forced Fumble: 1, vs. Arkansas (10/26/2024)
Fumble Recoveries: 1, at Texas (09/28/2024)
FOOTBALL | Jeff Lebby Postgame vs. Southern Miss
Saturday, August 30
FOOTBALL | Brylan Lanier INT
Saturday, August 30
FOOTBALL | Fluff Bothwell TD
Saturday, August 30
FOOTBALL | Ferrie 55-yard FG
Saturday, August 30