Yasin Willis
| Kansas Jayhawks | |
|---|---|
| Position | Running back |
| Class | Sophomore |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 17, 2004[1] |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Saint Joseph Regional (Bergen County, New Jersey) |
| College | |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Yasin Willis (born September 17, 2004)[1] is an American college football running back for the Kansas Jayhawks. He previously played for the Syracuse Orange.
Early life
Willis grew up in Newark, New Jersey and played youth football for the Brick City Lions, East Orange Jaguars, Operation Teen Titans, and was nicknamed Night Train.[2]
He attended high school at Saint Joseph Regional located in Bergen County, New Jersey. Coming out of high school, he was rated as a four-star recruit, and the top overall player in the State of New Jersey, where he committed to play college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers.[3] However, he later flipped his commitment and signed to play for the Syracuse Orange.[4][5]
College career
Syracuse
In week six of the 2024 season, he ran for 62 yards and a touchdown in a victory over UNLV.[6] During his freshman season in 2024, Willis rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown on 36 carries.[7] He entered the 2025 season, as one of the team's top running back competing for playing time.[8][9]
On December 23, 2025, Willis announced that he would enter the transfer portal.[10]
Kansas
On January 7, 2026, Willis announced that he would transfer to Kansas.[11]
References
- ^ a b @Ronice_MB (September 17, 2024). "There are some children you birth and others you steal! From the moment I met @willisyasin6 he became MINE! & a big brother to my @anaya_karriem and @Saboor_Karriem! HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY!" (Tweet). Retrieved January 24, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ Wolf, Zak (September 4, 2025). "Yasin Willis' hard-nosed running style fueled by dad, early workouts". The Daily Orange. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
- ^ Dipaola, Jerry (July 29, 2023). "Pitt lands 4-star RB recruit Yasin Willis, top overall player in New Jersey". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ Axe, Brent. "Yasin Willis on why he flipped to Syracuse from Pitt: 'We didn't see eye-to-eye with certain things'". Syracuse.com. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ Leiker, Emily. "New Jersey RB Yasin Willis changes commitment to Syracuse following official visit". Syracuse.com. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ Stechschulte, Jim. "Syracuse will lean heavily on a talented running back duo". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ Wang, Jackson (August 13, 2025). "Syracuse's Willis ready for larger backfield role". Spectrum News. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ McCarthy, Martin. "With Allen gone, Syracuse will lean on two emerging running backs". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ Edmonds, Javon. "Syracuse OC on replacing LeQuint Allen: Might be by committee". Syracuse.com. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ De Guzman, Christian (December 23, 2025). "Syracuse football: RB Yasin Willis will enter transfer portal". Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
- ^ Swain, Michael (January 7, 2026). "Syracuse transfer Yasin Willis signs with Kansas". 247Sports. Retrieved January 24, 2026.