Sophomore running back Yasin Willis, the Orange's starter at this key position, is expected to be out on Saturday afternoon as Syracuse football travels to No. 9 Notre Dame, according to a post on X from national reporter Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
That's a bummer. Zenitz reports that Willis has an undisclosed injury. Because Saturday's game is a non-conference encounter for the 'Cuse, Syracuse football doesn't have to submit injury reports to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Syracuse starting running back Yasin Willis is expected to miss tomorrow’s game against No. 9 Notre Dame due to an injury, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) November 22, 2025
The 6-foot-1, 235-pound Willis has run for 558 yards this season. pic.twitter.com/NTTRxf2vc1
Naturally, Orange Nation is wishing Yasin a speedy recovery. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound Willis, who hails from Newark, N.J., has carried the ball 129 times for 558 yards and four scores on the ground this season. The 'Cuse (3-7 overall, 1-6 in ACC) is stuck in a six-contest losing streak.
Syracuse football will be without a key offensive player on Saturday at No. 9 Notre Dame.
The Orange's 2025 season has fallen apart due to various factors. The team was 3-1 after beating Clemson on the road in September, but in that win, Syracuse football lost starting quarterback Steve Angeli, a redshirt junior, for the remainder of the current campaign due to an injury.
Since then, the Orange's quarterback room has been sub-par. The 'Cuse defense has been inconsistent, and both the offensive and defensive lines have struggled. With the Syracuse football passing game not a strength, opposing defenses have honed in on the Orange's rushing attack, and that has made life harder for Willis and the squad's other running backs.
Additionally, the 'Cuse has a young roster in 2025, to go along with a brutal schedule. That being said, the future looks extremely bright on the Hill.
Not too long ago, word came out that Willis expects to return to Syracuse football in the 2026 campaign, along with Angeli, freshman defensive back/wide receiver Demetres Samuel Jr. and freshman offensive lineman Byron Washington, among others.
Amid the transfer portal being open from January 2 to January 16, we'll have to see what current Orange players elect to depart the program ahead of the 2026 campaign or transfer into the 'Cuse. The early signing period for high school seniors comes in early December, and Syracuse football has a 2026 prep cycle with 30 verbal pledges that is No. 25 overall, via the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
On Saturday, with Willis out, two running backs who should receive a lot of the reps are redshirt senior Will Nixon and freshman Tylik Hill. In 2025, Nixon has 77 carries for 326 yards and three touchdowns. Hill has 15 carries for 89 yards.