Durango’s Carver Willis could be categorized as an old head in college football terms. But if everything goes right this year, he could be a young guy again in his next chapter next year.
Willis, 23, a former star for the Durango High School football team, is entering his sixth and final year of college football. After five years playing on the offensive line at Division I Kansas State University, Willis hit the transfer portal and will play his final season for the University of Washington Huskies. His new chapter begins with a home game against Colorado State on Saturday.
If all goes well, Willis could hear his name called in the 2026 NFL Draft and could become a rookie again.
“I'm feeling really good,” Willis said. “There's been a lot of things that I've improved on this offseason and so I’m really excited for my last year.”
Willis didn’t see much time in his first three years at Kansas State, playing in 11 games over those three years (he redshirted his second year). He then had a breakout year in 2023, playing in all 13 games and starting in seven of them. Willis was named All-Big 12 honorable mention after the 2023 season.
Last year, Willis returned to Kansas State and started 11 games at right tackle. The Wildcats had a solid season at 9-4 overall and 5-4 in the Big 12 Conference. However, Willis wasn’t satisfied with his injury-filled fifth season at Kansas State. He didn’t feel good about entering the NFL Draft; Willis thought he wouldn’t have been drafted after he didn’t have the season he wanted to have.
Therefore, Willis saw the sixth year in college he had available to him as a blessing and he entered the transfer portal.
“So I kind of treated it as a dry run in the league,” Willis said about his move into the transfer portal. “I thought, ‘Let me see how well I can show up and adjust to a whole new staff and whole new offense.’ But, also I had to think about how I've never lived in the city before and that was going to be a big adjustment. So, I might as well try and get that done now as well, too. So let’s see if I can adjust to a city.”
Willis entered the transfer portal the first day it was open on Dec. 9 He said it was a crazy experience and compared being a highly-sought-after player in the portal to being a five-star recruit.
He committed to Washington on Dec. 11. Willis has spent enough time in college football that he knew what he wanted and he didn’t need to try and wait around for better offers. Washington had the most pro-style offense Willis could find with all the Huskies’ coaches having connections to the NFL. Willis wanted a school that would ease the transition from college to the NFL.
Despite only being in the portal for two days, 54 schools reached out to Willis. It was a crazy and overwhelming experience for him and it was an experience Willis said he couldn’t have handled without his agency.
A lot of the conversation these days regarding the transfer portal is NIL or Name Image and Likeness. A lot of players hop in the portal to earn more money from school’s collectives that’ll pay the players for their name, image and likeness. Because of a lawsuit, schools can now share revenue with athlete directly and separately from NIL deals.
Willis was not one of those money-crazed portal entries. He wasn’t too concerned with getting the biggest payday, despite being flattered by some outrageous offers from schools. He had a minimum amount he wanted and as long as he got that, he didn’t care.
While changing schools after five years is a big adjustment, changing positions is another huge adjustment for Willis. He will be Washington’s starting left tackle after playing right tackle for Kansas State.
Willis didn’t go into the portal with the intention of switching positions; it was what Washington needed from him. It doesn’t hurt that his experience this year at left tackle will add to his versatility potentially at the next level.
The switch to left tackle hasn’t been easy for Willis. He worked hard in the offseason down in Arizona at AMDG Sports on his technique and stance. Willis also has added about 20 pounds; he’s about 312 pounds which will help him achieve his goal of getting to the next level.
“It's kind of like learning how to ride a bike backwards,” Willis said about the position change. “You know how to ride a bike, but now you have to change everything, but the concept is still the same; it's slightly the same job. Obviously, it has more responsibility with a right-handed quarterback. I enjoy the responsibility and weight on my shoulders, but the biomechanics and all that is so different on the right side … then you have to go switch up everything. So, it was a hard transition.”
Willis’ transition has been made easier by having a close-knit offensive line group. He’s enjoyed being the old guy in the group and has taken a leadership role.
It’s a unique experience for Willis to bond with his younger teammates. Willis’ first three years of college were without any NIL or revenue sharing and those topics dominate the sport for freshman coming into college. One of those guys in the offensive line room isn’t even 18 yet and Willis is 23 and engaged.
Regardless of the age difference between Willis and his fellow offensive linemen, they all have the same goal of protecting quarterback Demond Williams Jr. Willis said Williams makes his life easy with Williams’ dual-threat ability and how skilled he is throwing on the run.
Willis spent his time at Kansas State playing in the Big 12 and now he gets to play in the Big 10 with Washington. He’s excited to play in a loaded Big 10 with the likes of Oregon, USC, Penn State and the last two national champions in Michigan and Ohio State.
The Durangoan is excited about playing some stiff competition. If Washington and Willis do well against the loaded conference, Willis will position himself well for the next level.
“This team is really excited to surprise some people,” Willis said. “We're just excited to show up and say, ‘Hey, Washington deserves to be in the conversation for the top teams in the league.’ That’s our goal, to prove it.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
