QUENTIN — Franklin County rising senior defensive end Aljoshua Tillman has committed to Ole Miss. Tillman announced his verbal pledge to the Rebels on Tuesday after weeks of thinking.
“I just wanted to get it all over with and announce my decision so I can concentrate on my academics and my senior season,” Tillman said. “My family played a big role in my decision. I wanted to stay in state.”
Tillman (6 foot 5, 250 pounds) racked up 75 tackles and tallied 10 sacks last year for Class 3A champion Franklin County.
He was offered scholarships by USM and Mississippi State, and received high interest from Auburn and LSU in the early recruiting period. Tillman is ranked as the 14th best prospect in the state by Rivals.com.
“I feel like (Ole Miss) is the right place for me,” Tillman said. “I like that head coach Ed Orgeron knows the defensive line. He coached the defensive line at USC and the success he had there was really impressive.”
Tillman’s cousin, Marcus, starred for the Rebel defensive line last season as a freshman defensive end. Marcus Tillman’s younger brother, Bo Tillman, senior defensive tackle, has also attracted offers from several Division I programs, including Ole Miss. Bo is rated as the fifth best state prospect.
“Getting to play with my cousin (Marcus) is big for me,” Aljoshua Tillman said. “It’s also a great atmosphere at Ole Miss.”
Looking ahead, Tillman hopes to attain his qualifying academic scores for college entrance during his senior year at Franklin County. He can sign with Ole Miss officially in February.
He will also be one of six returning starters for Franklin County coach Grady McCluskey’s Bulldogs this fall.
“We want to repeat as champions,” Tillman said. “That’s another reason I went ahead and announced my decision, so I would not be hounded with questions about it while I’m playing this season.”
