Former walk-on running back Stevontae Tullis one of leaders for Jacksonville State defense

JACKSONVILLE — The offense is a work in progress for Jacksonville State football, but the defense has shined throughout the spring and into the preseason.

The Gamecocks garnered four selections to the ASUN preseason all-conference team: Senior linebackers Stevontae Tullis and Markail Benton, along with defensive back Jaylen Swain. Sophomore punter Jack Dawson also was selected.

For Tullis, the honor was extra special, as he did not have a scholarship out of Ashford High in Dothan when he arrived, and started his career on the other side of the ball.

"I was a walk on playing running back," Tullis said at the JSU media day. "I moved to defensive back, played nickel, I play some safety and they threw me in at linebacker.

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"The whole time I feel like I've kind of been slept on, but it's a part of that process. Day in and day out, I keep busting my tail to get what I know I deserved.... And I'm telling you it's time to shine."

In 2021, Tullis played all three linebacker positions for the Gamecocks. He finished second on the team in tackles with 68 and tied for the team lead with 6.5 tackles for loss. Against Stephen F. Austin, he recorded a career-best 13 tackles.

He garnered a spot on the ASUN All-Conference Team.

"I couldn't do that without any of my teammates, the amazing d-line we have and the back end," Tullis said. "You can't do that without the other team players on the field."

Tullis, along with Benton, cornerbacks Yul Gowdy and Jeremiah Harris and defensive end Christian Murray are the returning defensive starters from that senior class.

"It's great to have guys back that have played here," JSU defensive coordinator Zac Alley said. "They put in the work and the time. It's good to have guys to build the foundation around."

Harris missed all of last season following a season-ending elbow injury in the season opener against UAB.

"I feel like it's going to be a good season for us with everybody back healthy," Harris said. "We got some vets on defense, so it should be a pretty good defense."

While the secondary and linebackers should be the defense's strength, the defensive line features many newcomers.

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Alley, who was the coordinator last season at Louisiana-Monroe with Rodriguez, said catching up the younger and newer players up will be an emphasis in the preseason.

"We have a lot of new faces out there for this fall camp, and they've got to learn and they've got to grow and develop," he said. "That's our job to focus on every single day and get them better. We'll have a good, complete defense by the time (the season) rolls around."

JSU, like many programs with coaching turnovers, faces a lot of roster volatility in the first year.

Malik Feaster, who broke the JSU record for longest fumble return for a touchdown in program history last season, announced Sunday he was going to Florida State as a grad transfer.

However, Tullis said he leaving the school he has been with since 2017 was not right for him.

"It's just home, like just going through different situations," Tullis said. "We had the tornado. The guys that are here are like brothers. So just sticking tight, we're going to make something out of what we have."

Contact Ehsan Kassim at 256-300-5313 or ekassim@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Stevontae Tullis a defensive leader for Jacksonville State football