Zakari Tillman holds the MLB · Starter spot in Mississippi State Bulldogs’s linebacker room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Zakari Tillman is a 6'2", 235-pound linebacker for Mississippi State, entering his senior season in 2026. A three-star recruit from Florence, Mississippi, Tillman appeared in 11 games during his true freshman year in 2023, primarily on special teams with five tackles. He played in 12 games with one start as a sophomore in 2024, recording 30 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 3.5 tackles for loss while leading the team in sacks. In 2025, Tillman appeared in 12 games with 10 starts, accumulating 47 tackles—a career high—along with three tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, and one pass breakup.

Mississippi State2023 — present