Last confirmed: Western Michigan, 2024. No 2026 box-score games on record.
6′1″ · 218 lb · Memphis, TN · Memphis East
Jelani Willis: LB · Western Michigan · #6.
Jelani Willis
Jelani Willis arrived at Tennessee State from Western Michigan. On tape: 3 tackles against Eastern Michigan, Week 14, 2024.
No outlet on our list has written about him by name this season.
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| Season | Team | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Western Michigan | 11 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2023 | Western Michigan | 6 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Career | 17 | 11 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Game log · Week-by-week
2024 season · 6 games
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| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 3 | W 59-31vs Bethune-Cookman | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 5 | L 20-27@ Marshall | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 45-42@ Ball State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | W 48-41@ Buffalo | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | L 13-31@ Bowling Green | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | W 26-18vs Eastern Michigan | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 11 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
Week 3 · 2024
W 59-31
3 tackles · 1 solo tackle
Dominant 28-point win at home against Bethune-Cookman.
2 seasons under Lance Taylor — 10-15 over that span.
Splits · Per-game
2024 season · 6 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road4g | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+3g | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Lance Taylor
Pass share
40.6%
323 pass / 473 run
Plays / game
61.2
13 games
Team sack rate
6.1%
329 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2024
Fewer tackles a game than most FBS linebackers who play every week.
How it ended
Two seasons at Western Michigan, 17 tackles — his college career is complete.
His career
Coaching lineage · 2022–2024
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Tim Lester → Lance Taylor. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
