Brayden Willis

Position:
TE
Class:
Fifth Year
Height:
6-4
Weight:
240
Hometown:
Arlington, Texas
High School:
James Martin HS

Season	GP-S	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Long
2018	13-0	1	29	29.0	0	29
2019	14-2	11	168	15.3	3	25
2020	5-2	9	110	12.2	1	21
2021	13-8	15	177	11.8	2	28
2022	13-13	39	514	13.2	7	78
Career	58-25	75	998	13.3	13	78

CAREER NOTES
Played in 58 career games and made 25 starts ... registered 75 catches for 998 yards (13.3 yards per reception) and 13 touchdowns ... member of three Big 12 championship teams, two College Football Playoff squads and teams that won the 2020 Cotton Bowl and 2021 Alamo Bowl and participated in the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl in his five seasons (teams went a combined 50-15).

2022
One of three 2022 recipients of program’s coveted Don Key Award (presented for excellence on and off the field) … garnered second-team All-Big 12 honors from league’s coaches and AP … started all 13 games and totaled 514 yards (ranked second on team) and team-high seven touchdowns on 39 receptions (13.2 yards per catch) … his receptions, yards and touchdowns represented career highs … his seven receiving TDs tied for fifth most nationally among tight ends … also rushed 10 times for 26 yards and completed his only pass attempt for a touchdown … recorded two TD receptions in each of three games … caught team-high-tying four passes for 58 yards vs. Florida State in Cheez-It Bowl (12/29) ... registered career-high seven receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns at Texas Tech (11/26) … finished with career-high 102 yards and a touchdown on five receptions vs. Kansas (10/15) … caught two passes for 21 yards and rushed seven times for 18 yards as a “wildcat” quarterback when starting QB Dillon Gabriel was out with an injury vs. Texas (10/8) … recorded two catches for 81 yards (including career-long 78-yarder) at TCU (10/1) … caught five passes for 41 yards and two scores vs. Kansas State (9/24) … completed a 24-yard TD pass to running back Marcus Major at Nebraska (9/17) … also had two catches for 19 yards against Huskers … registered 40 yards and two touchdowns on three receptions in season opener vs. UTEP (9/3).

2021
An Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honoree … played in all 13 games ... his eight starts came over last nine contests … had 15 receptions for 177 yards (11.8 per catch) and two touchdowns … also played on multiple special teams units and made two tackles in punt coverage … registered three catches for 29 yards and a touchdown (10-yarder) at Oklahoma State (11/27) … had two catches for 24 yards and a TD (8-yarder) vs. Texas Tech (10/30) … made two receptions for 22 yards vs. TCU (10/16) … notched a career-high four receptions for 31 yards at Kansas State (10/2) … had two catches for a career-high 51 yards vs. Western Carolina (9/11).

2020
Played in five games and made starts vs. No. 14 Oklahoma State (11/21) and in Cotton Bowl win vs. No. 10 Florida (12/30) … missed season opener and five more games from Oct. 3 through Nov. 7 … totaled nine receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown … caught three passes for 42 yards in Big 12 Championship win over No. 8 Iowa State (12/19) … registered three receptions for 30 yards (including an 8-yard touchdown) vs. Baylor (12/5) … made one catch for 15 yards vs. Oklahoma State … logged two receptions for 23 yards vs. Kansas State (9/26).

2019
Played in all 14 games ... two starts came vs. Texas Tech (9/28) and No. 1 LSU in CFP Semifinal at Peach Bowl (12/28) … caught 11 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns … caught TD passes in three consecutive games (2-yarder vs. Baylor [11/16], 20-yarder vs. TCU [11/23] and 3-yarder vs. Oklahoma State [11/30]) ... made a 17-yard reception in Big 12 Championship vs. No. 8 Baylor (12/7) … reeled in one catch for 24 yards vs. Iowa State (11/9) … made one grab for 22 yards at Kansas State (10/26) … caught a season-long 25-yard pass vs. No. 11 Texas (10/12) … made a season-high two receptions for 38 yards at Kansas (10/5) … caught one pass for 14 yards in season opener vs. Houston (9/1).

2018
Played in 13 of team's 14 games, primarily on special teams ... lone reception went for 29 yards against Baylor (9/29) ... blocked a punt that was returned nine yards for a touchdown by teammate Curtis Bolton in fourth quarter against Kansas (11/17) ... did not play against Army (9/22).

HIGH SCHOOL
A three-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals ... ranked as the nation’s No. 19 tight end/H-back by ESPN and the No. 70 overall tight end by 247 Sports ... caught 29 passes for 586 yards and seven touchdowns, rushed for 572 yards and 16 touchdowns and passed for 521 yards and four touchdowns as a senior ... totaled 56 receptions, 909 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns in his career ... Texas District 4-6A MVP as a senior ... chose Oklahoma over Arizona, Houston and Wake Forest, among others.

PERSONAL
Graduated in May 2022 with a degree in economics.