Skip to main content
Mississippi State

100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 41 Days - No. 41, LB Tyshun Willis

3rupauk8_400x400by: Robbie Faulk07/20/25RobbieFaulkOn3
tyshun willis
Photo by Mississippi State Athletics

Year two of the Jeff Lebby era has arrived and the Mississippi State coach is back to work.

After a disappointing first season, the coach and his staff are doing what they can to get things back on track in Starkville. The players on the field will be the difference for State this season if they are to make a return and we’re going to discuss every single one of them over the course of the next few months.

As we do every year, we’re counting down 100 days until State’s first game at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg on August 30. Over this period of time, we’ll breakdown every scholarship player on the roster, look back at great moments in MSU history and even talk about legends that have come before the current Bulldogs.

Today, we look at a freshman linebacker that could be a standout in his career.

41 Days: No. 41, Fr. LB Tyshun Willis  

He had a quiet recruitment, but Willis is a player that has a chance to be really good for the Bulldogs during his time in Starkville.

Like many of the best high school players in the state of Mississippi, Willis did it all for Velma Jackson – a Class 1A team in Camden. Willis had a big season as a defender as he had 65 tackles with an incredible 45.0 tackles for loss, 18.0 sacks and four forced fumbles. But teams’ biggest chore was stopping the 6’2, 250-pounder on the offensive side of the ball.

With Willis lined up at running back, he rushed for 983 yards and scored 14 touchdowns and he also caught 25 passes for 479 yards scoring 21 total touchdowns. He finished last season as the Mr. Football in 1A and had 54.0 sacks and over 300 tackles during his career.

Additionally, Willis was a state champion in track and powerlifting and played in the 2023 state championship where his team came up just shy of winning a football title against Biggersville.

Willis had some early juice on the recruiting trail with both State and Ole Miss the heavy favorites. He also had offers from Missouri and Baylor, but the instate teams were the ones to watch. State was a team that always looked to be at the forefront, and he would commit to them during the spring before his senior year.

After that commitment, Willis had a quiet senior season but was still a four-star nearly across the board. The On3 Industry rankings had him as the No. 204 player in the country and the No.7 player in the state of Mississippi.

Willis now comes to Starkville with a clean slate. Physically, Willis is impressive and has all the tools to make an impact but we’ll see how quickly he adjusts to life in the SEC.  

You may also like