Spotlight Bull: Defensive Tackle Major Dillard Never Met A Stranger
September 10, 2026 | Football
When South Florida defensive lineman Marcus Williams first encountered Major Dillard, the 330-pound force of nature at nose tackle, he said his breath was taken away.ย
"A man that big moving like that? I was very much in shock,'' Williams said.
When edge rusher C.J. Hicks began practicing with Dillard last spring, he couldn't stop smiling.ย
"I knew we had a wrecking ball,'' Hicks said. "Major is a disruptor. He sets the tone for our D-line. There are very few like him.''
Bulls' defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge jokingly said he sometimes addresses Dillard as "Sweet Feet.''ย
"He's really light on his feet,'' Aldridge said. "It's really impressive. The guys give him a hard time. Like when he stops playing football and loses some weight, he'll probably be a marathon runner or something.
"He's quick and he plays hard. His feet are always going. That's a big thing for a big dude. Are your feet stopping on contact? He does what we call restarting your feet on contact. Really impressed with not only the feet, but his effort.''
Dillard and his D-line buddies should be major factors on Saturday afternoon when the Bulls (1-0) face a road test against the formidable triple-option rushing prowess of the Army Black Knights (1-0) in the American Conference opener. Undoubtedly, Army coaches know that Dillard will soon arrive and they are planning accordingly.
"I'm one of those trench warriors,'' Dillard said. "That's how I play. That's who I am.''
But Dillard's high-profile status wasn't always obvious. Is it possible for a 330-pound man to slip through the cracks? Apparently so.
Mostly known as an offensive lineman, Dillard was in low demand when playing at Frederick Douglass High School in Upper Marlboro, Md., as part of the "DMV'' (D.C./Maryland/Virginia) area where athletes are plentiful.
First, he tried NCAA Division II Fayetteville (N.C.) State University, where his stay was brief. Next, it was NCAA Division II Chowan University in Murfreesboro, N.C., a place of 15-hour bus rides to some road games.
"You're in the middle of nowhere, just grinding, staying up at night and wondering if you'd made the right decision,'' Dillard said. "I played with some great players growing up, the four-stars and the five-stars, and I believed I belonged with them. But for whatever reason, I never got that opportunity right off the bat.''
Dillard got the attention of Football Championship Subdivision member Norfolk State University, an HBCU program, where he played one season for head coach Michael Vick, the former NFL quarterback. And from there, once he entered the transfer portal and the new staff at USF took notice, Dillard landed in Tampa.
Even if the stat sheet shows zero tackles and zero sacks, Dillard can impact a game. By occupying two or three blockers, he allows teammates to make plays. He's often an immovable object on the interior, forcing opponents into Plan B.
"That's a freak right there, Major Dillard,'' Bulls edge rusher Shamar Meikle said. "When he gets off the ball, my eyes are wide open. Watching him and studying him, seeing the work ethic and movement of a guy that big, it is truly amazing. He's a big, big man.''
Dillard, 20, said he has always been big, even when he was little.
At birth, he was more than 8 pounds. He was a 100-pounder in the first grade. At age 7, he wore a size-11 shoe (it's now 16). In high school, during the COVID-19 quarantine, Dillard's eating habits and football conditioning were completely shot. When he finally attended a long-awaited football camp at William & Mary, he hopped on a scale.
It read: 415 pounds.
"I did it to myself, but I wasn't going to allow that,'' Dillard said. "I worked out like crazy, but the biggest thing was upping my water intake. That changed everything and I still pay attention to that. Drinking lots and lots of water. I got the weight back to where it needed to be. I'm big, but I think I look good and I feel good.
"People ask me, 'Man, do you ever wish you were skinny?' I do not. I love being a big guy just because of the power of it. I can sit there in the A-gap or the B-gap and not get blown off the ball. You're not going to move me. It feels comfortable and that's what makes me into me. It's who I am.''
Dillard said he's accustomed to being watched whenever he enters a room. But he's also quick to smile while possessing a playful, disarming personality.
"Major never met a stranger,'' said Dillard's father, Fred, a city bus driver. "Always pleasant. And he'll have a conversation with anybody โ I mean, anybody.''
His father wanted a strong, distinctive name for his son. Major fits well. Everybody knows Major. What's more, everybody likes Major. He's a big guy with a big heart.
"When you're a big guy, people might size you up,'' Dillard said. "They automatically think you're a bad guy or a mean guy just by the way you look. You definitely have to be careful in how you approach people. Watch the things you say and how you say them. Sometimes, it's not what you say. It's just the tone
"I feel like I have an alter ego on the field. It's not really me. It's just part of the game we play and honestly, that's why I love it. I'm a football guy. When I'm on that field, I'm finally able to unleash the beast.''
โ#GoBullsโ
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Joey Johnston
Athletics Senior Writer
