2019 Freshman All-American (Pro Football Focus)
2019 All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention
2020 All-Sun Belt Third Team

2022 (Junior): Started all 14 games for the Trojans at strong safety … Ranked 12^th per Pro Football Focus among all Group of Five defenders with a 77.7 tackle grade, second-best among safeties … Finished season with 66 tackles, a half tackle for loss, two pass break ups and a fumble recovery … Per PFF, 29^th among all G5 defenders in overall defense … Missed just eight tackles all season, 10.5 percent missed tackle rate 13^thamong G5 defenders … Limited opponents to receptions on 57.7 percent of targets (15-of-26), 14^th-best in the G5 and fifth-best among safeties … Had a season-high 11 tackles in Troy's victory over Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt Championship Game … Broke up passes in wins over Alabama A&M and Western Kentucky … Played 847 defensive snaps, third most on the team … Also played the fifth-most special teams snaps with 136

2021 (Sophomore): Started all 12 games and finished the season fourth on the team with 54 tackles … Added a tackle for loss and blocked a field goal attempt against Liberty … Among Troy regulars, rated as the Trojans’ best tackler per Pro Football Focus … Ranked 23^rd nationally (players min. 500 snaps) for his tackling efforts, 13^th among defensive backs and eighth among safeties … Ranked 12^th among all Group of Five defenders in tackling (min. 500 snaps) and second in the Sun Belt; seventh among all G5 defensive backs and first in the Sun Belt … Played 562 defensive snaps, fourth-most on the team … Missed just three tackles all season … Defended 8-of-24 pass attempts against him … Season-high nine tackles against both Liberty and South Alabama … Lone tackle for loss on the year came in a seven-tackle effort against Louisiana

2020 (Sophomore): Named to the All-Sun Belt Third Team … Started all 11 games at strong safety after playing free safety as a freshman … Finished fourth on the team with 58 tackles and second with five pass break ups … Returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown at Georgia Southern … Held opponents to a 64.3 completion percentage, including holding three teams to 50 percent or lower … Did not record a tackle at Arkansas State, but broke up a pass and allowed just one reception on five targets in the game … Season-high 10 tackles and a pass break up against Georgia State … Recorded eight or more tackles in four games and five or more in seven games … Rated as the 33^rd best-tackling safety (min. 400 snaps) per Pro Football Focus with a 77.0 grade

2019 (Freshman): Named to the Pro Football Focus Freshman All-America Team … Led all freshmen in the Sun Belt Conference with 63 tackles after taking over the starting duties at free safety in the third week of the season – he averaged 5.9 tackles in his 10 starts … Ended the regular season ranked eighth nationally among all freshmen with his tackle total … Broke up a pass against both Texas State and Appalachian State … Recorded 10 tackles against Arkansas State and added nine against Missouri and App State … Finished with three or more tackles in the final 11 games of the season … Played the second most snaps on defense with 668 over his 12 games … Opponents completed just 65.4 percent of passes targeted against him; best on the team ... Named to the All-Sun Belt Team as an honorable mention selection

High School: Finished his career at Sparkman High School with 10 interceptions, 132 tackles, two forced fumbles and 17 tackles for loss … Named team captain for the Senators … Versatile player who also recorded more than 300 career return yards … Helped lead Sparkman to a 7-4 record as a junior and the school’s first trip to the playoffs since 2006 … Rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports; one of the top 50 players in the state of Alabama by 247Sports … Also lettered in track and baseball

Personal: Full name is Dell Pettus … Born June 2, 2001, in Huntsville, Ala. … Son of Tamara and Glenn Pettus … Has one brother, Micah, and one sister, Makayla … Father played football at Alabama A&M and mother played basketball at Alabama A&M ... Majoring in cyber security; on track to graduate this fall