Naval Academy Athletics

•    At Navy: Enters the fall battling Kendall Whiteside for the starting defensive tackle job ... a starter in 5 games during his career (0 Fr // 5 So) ... changed the fortunes of the defense in the 2024 season when he moved from nose guard to defensive tackle for the final 5 games of the year ... helped shore up the run defense ...  has earned 1 varsity letter.

•    2024: A starter in 5 of the 13 games in which he played, he closed out the season with 33 tackles, including 4 tackles for loss and 3 sacks ... also had a QB hurry and a pass breakup ... turned in 2 tackles for loss on a pair of sacks in the Mids’ 21-20 victory over Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl ... Navy’s defense snapped Army QB Bryson Daily’s school-record 10-consecutive games with 100 yards rushing, by holding him to a season-low 52 yards rushing ... held Army, who came into the game ranked #1 in the FBS averaging 314.4 rushing yards per game, to just 113 yards on the ground ... it was the Black Knights’ fewest rushing yards in the rivalry game since Dec. 12, 2009, when they carried the ball 40 times for 110 yards on the ground ... also held Army without a rushing touchdown for the first time all year ... held Army to its fewest points (13) in a game in 2024 ... produced 8 tackles in Navy’s win over #19 Army ... made the start at nose guard at East Carolina where he posted 5 tackles, including his first-career sack ... turned in a career-high 9 tackles, including his first-collegiate tackle for loss against #25 Tulane ... made his first-collegiate start at defensive tackle in the Mids’ win at USF ... turned in 2 tackles and broke up a pass, the first of his career ... chipped in a tackle in Navy’s Homecoming win over Charlotte and its loss to #12 Notre Dame ... part of a defensive unit that limited Air Force to 7 points and 273 total yards ... the 7 points scored by Air Force were the fewest it has scored at home against Navy and the 27-point win was Navy’s largest margin of victory over Air Force since 1978 ... recorded a tackle against the Falcons ... turned in 2 tackles in Navy’s road win at UAB ... chipped in a tackle against Memphis ... credited with a quarterback hurry in the AAC opener against Temple ... made his collegiate debut in the Mids’ win over Bucknell in the opener where he contributed his first-career tackle.

•    2023: Did not see any varsity action.

• High School / Personal: A 2023 graduate of Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas, Willis was a two-sport athlete who earned letters in basketball and football ... two-time (Jr, Sr) All-District 26-6A football selection who was named the District Defensive Line MVP his junior year ... earned Texas Sports Writers Association / Blue Bell Class 6A All-State (Texas) Honorable Mention honors as a senior ... named to the American-Statesman All-Central Texas Football Team (third team) his senior year ... member of the National Honor Society ... son of Dana and Susan Willis ... majoring in quantitative economics.