Syracuse RB Yasin Willis to Enter Transfer Portal, Becomes 17th Orange Player to Depart
Syracuse is heading into the offseason with more turnover in its running back room. Yasin Willis, who spent two seasons with the Orange, announced he plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal when it opens on January 2. He leaves the program with two years of eligibility remaining.
Willis’ decision comes after a season in which he shared lead back duties with Will Nixon. As a freshman, he saw action in nine games, primarily as a backup behind LeQuint Allen and Nixon. Over his two years in the program, Willis totaled 688 rushing yards and two touchdowns - not eye-popping numbers, but he showed flashes of physicality and vision that could make him a valuable asset elsewhere.
What adds intrigue here is that Willis had previously hinted at a return to Syracuse. That makes his move a bit of a surprise, especially considering the current state of the Orange backfield. But in today’s college football landscape, the portal is as much about opportunity as it is about fit - and Willis clearly sees an opening somewhere else.
He’s not the only one heading out. Willis becomes the third Syracuse running back to announce plans to transfer, joining Malachi James and Jaden Hart. That’s a significant shake-up at one position group, and it leaves the Orange with more questions than answers heading into 2026.
As for Nixon, he’s officially out of eligibility - but he’s applying for a medical hardship waiver in hopes of returning for one more season. He’s made it clear that if granted, he intends to stay in Syracuse. That would be a big boost for a thinning unit, but the waiver process isn’t always predictable.
If Nixon doesn’t get that extra year, the Orange will be looking at a backfield made up of Tyler Chandler, Malachi Coleman, Tylik Hill, and Shavane Anderson. Of those four, only Hill saw meaningful action in 2025.
According to Pro Football Focus, he was the only one of the group to log more than 50 offensive snaps - and the only one to reach double-digit carries on the season. That’s a lot of inexperience for a program that’s trying to build offensive consistency.
Willis is now the 17th Syracuse player to enter the portal this cycle, according to 247Sports’ transfer tracker. That number underscores just how much roster movement is happening across the country - and how much Syracuse is feeling the effects.
This year, the NCAA’s new transfer portal rules are in full effect. Unlike in past seasons, there’s now only one window for football players to officially enter the portal: January 2 through January 15.
That’s a tight 13-day period for players to make a major career decision. After that, schools can still recruit and commit players, but no new names can be added to the portal list.
For Syracuse, the next few weeks will be about more than just watching who leaves. It’s about who they can bring in - and whether they can stabilize a running back room that’s suddenly in flux.