Yasin Willis
| No. 6 – Kansas Jayhawks | |
|---|---|
| Position | Running back |
| Class | Junior |
| 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
[edit]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
[edit]Syracuse
[edit]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 NCAA transfer portal.[10]
Kansas
[edit]On January 7, 2026, Willis announced that he would transfer to Kansas.[11]
References
[edit]- 1 2 @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.