Willis’ return invaluable to OU’s tight end room
“I never wanted to leave.”
Brayden Willis OU tight end/halfback
NORMAN — Brayden Willis hadn’t been recruited in years.
The 6-foot-4 tight end/halfback is all grown up as he enters his fifth season at OU. He arrived in 2018 as a 220-pound freshman with a baby face and a mustache that was just starting to grow. Nowadays, he’s a 237-pound super senior with a beard thick enough to cushion the blow of a would-be tackler.
Each step of Willis’ journey to manhood has unfolded in Norman, which is why he didn’t struggle with the dilemma he faced this past offseason.
A wave of OU players entered the transfer portal following head coach Lincoln Riley’s decision to leave for USC last November.
When the Sooners hired Brent Venables as their new coach, Willis found himself being recruited all over again by the Sooner coaching staff.
Fortunately for OU, it wasn’t a hard sell.
“I never wanted to leave,” Willis said. “Whenever there was the switch, I had no interest in transferring. It was either I was gonna go on to the next level or I was gonna stay at Oklahoma. This is a special place. I love it here, and I just wanted to be here with my team.”
Once an opportunity to move to the NFL didn’t present itself, Willis shifted his focus to being the leader of an OU tight end room with plenty of young talent.
Kaden Helms is a 6-foot-5 freshman who arrived in Norman as a consensus four-star recruit. Jason Llewellyn is a 6foot-5 freshman with a three-star tag to his name.
There’s added pressure for Willis to lead following the departure of two key tight ends from last season. Austin Stogner transferred to South Carolina, while Jeremiah Hall declared for the NFL Draft.
“I knew if I came back, I was going to have to be a leader, an old guy,” Willis said. “And so I take pride in that role. My job is to take all the little things that I’ve learned over the years, all the tips and tricks and just things that come with playing over the years, and pass it on to those (younger) guys.”
Teaching opportunities aren’t exclusive to the football field for Willis.
Whether it’s the weight room, the meeting room or even the lunchroom, Willis is constantly setting the right example for his teammates.
“It’s a great picture for those younger guys to see that every day,” tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley said. “I call him a pro. You really have to do a great job of managing your time and doing everything right. That’s what he does every single day.
“He’s the same guy every single (day). That’s why he’s had so much success and will continue to have so much success.”
Willis still has some learning to do. Venables and his retooled staff have brought changes to OU. New play calling. New terminology.
The biggest change is the Sooners’ pace of play, which is considerably faster than what Willis experienced in his four seasons with Riley at the helm.
“It’s a big adjustment,” Willis said. “We’re running a lot more. I’m losing a lot of weight. You never really notice what type of tempo you’re playing with until you play with another type of tempo, but I’ve really enjoyed playing at this tempo. I think it’s gonna be a great weapon for us. Venables’ changes are a lot for Willis to take in, but it’s a challenge he feels will help him when he ultimately says goodbye to Norman next year.
“Eventually, I was going to have to learn a new offense if I would have left,” Willis said. “I was going to have to learn a new offense regardless, but it’s been a blessing to be able to go through this process again so that I’m used to it next year.”