Zakari Tillman
Zakari Tillman
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Zakari Tillman has been at Mississippi State through two head coaches in three seasons. The receipt on tape: 7 tackles against Arkansas, Week 10, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Greg Knox → Jeff Lebby. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jeff Lebby
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR04 · Rotational
Rotational. Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mississippi State | 47 | 15 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Mississippi State | 30 | 17 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Mississippi State | 5 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 82 | 33 | 6.5 | 4.5 | 3 | 2 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 10 · 2025
W 38–35
at Arkansas
7 TOT · 5 SOLO
Edged out Arkansas on the road in a shootout.
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Mississippi State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Mississippi State
Returning around him
- 2 Mississippi State players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -13 net (27 in / 40 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Mississippi State · Last season: 5-8 · Talent rank #24 · 2026 recruiting class #23
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Cody Simon’s 2021 season.
Matches Cody on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Harrison Taggart's junior season at California (2025).
Matches Harrison on
Background
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 int...