Major Dillard is turning heads at USF after starting in the middle of nowhere

The USF football roster has 28 players who transferred here from power conference programs. The Bulls have 13 players who were rated either four-star or five-star prospects out of high school.

The background for defensive tackle Major Dillard is a little different.

He didn't have a pack of Division I programs waiting by his front door with scholarship offers in hand. He spent two years at Division II Chowan University followed by a season at Norfolk State. But the pedigrees don't matter once someone puts on the pads, and the Bulls believe they have found a hidden gem in Dillard.

Start with his size -- 6-foot-2, 330 pounds. Try moving that out of the way in the middle of the line. He has good speed and, in a pinch, he can fall back on his experience of playing a season in Chowan's offensive line.

At a recent media session, defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge was asked about Dillard while the player sat in the back of the room.

"You look at Major Dillard, his story is very unique. I'll let him tell it, but I'm partial to him because he's a D2 guy like me at one point. And just what a neat story," Aldridge said.

"And he's had an incredible camp so far. I know he's listening back there somewhere. Hopefully he doesn't get too big of a head. But he's done a really good job."

Chowan University, where Dillard began his post-high school journey, is a small, private Christian liberal arts university with an enrollment of about 700 students. It is located in Murfreesboro, N.C. -- its population in 2024 was 2,027.

It was quite an adjustment for the young man who grew up near Washington, D.C.

"Chowan University was one of the most humbling experiences I've ever been through. You know, Division II school, (but) it was in a high conference. We were in the Gulf South, so we were playing teams like West Florida and Valdosta and things like that," he said.

"It was a good ball. It was just, you know, the circumstances. You're in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. You're in the middle of nowhere from home. You've just got to keep your head down , keep grinding, and keep trying to strive for the best."

Like many collegiate players, Dillard has aspirations to play football at the highest level. That wasn't happening at Chowan because no matter how well he played, who would see him? That thought bothered him greatly.

"You know, it's times and it's nights,. You stay up late and you're wondering, like, man, I hope this is the right decision. I hope I'm in the right place," he said.

"That's where you got to trust God, trust yourself, and keep working. Do the extra things every day and do what you can. Just keep moving forward."

Two years of striving and laying awake at night was enough. Transferring to Norfolk State allowed him a couple of benefits: It was a step up in class for competition, and he was coached by former NFL great Michael Vick.

That time helped open his eyes a little wider by exposing him to a more intricate brand of football.

"It definitely helped me with the X's and O's. We call it the football classroom," he said. "Being able to see different schemes and where I'm supposed to be and how fast I'm supposed to be there definitely progressed my speed throughout the time."

With only season left, Dillard decided it was time enter the Transfer Portal again. Aldridge invited him to join the Bulls. And now the Bulls could have a run-stopping man-mountain in the middle of the defensive line.

"I was juust looking for a better opportunity to keep climbing to the next level. Coach A hit my phone and said he loved my tape," Dillard said. "And you can see this facility is a beautiful place. It's like family here. So, I thought, why not come here?

"Coach A, he's a phenomenal coach. He's going to coach you hard. It might not be the things that you want to hear, but it's what you need to hear. He's going to make you a better player, no matter what type of player you are. He's going to make you an elite athlete."

Elite athletes have a way of getting noticed by coaches at the highest level of football, so we'll how this goes. But Dillard has the measurables for success, and Aldridge turned East Carolina into the best defense last season the American Conference.

Dillard might not have had the stars attached to his name coming out of high school, but none of that matters now. He has his shot and he is determined to make the most of it.