In hindsight, Carver Willis’ decision to transfer to Washington required some significant faith.
Willis, the 6-foot-5, 312-pound offensive lineman, was looking for a place to rebound after a mixed 2024 campaign at Kansas State. He was entrusting his final year of eligibility to a team asking him to play significant snaps at left tackle for the first time in his collegiate career. Just a month after Willis enrolled at UW, his position coach departed for the NFL.
But on Monday, Willis — standing on the turf of the Dempsey Indoor Center after participating in UW’s pro day in front of NFL scouts — said playing for Washington was unequivocally the best decision of his life.
“I will forever love my time here,” Willis said. “It absolutely helped. And my time here is something I hold in great regard.”
Willis was a steadying force on the left side of UW’s offensive line in 2025, earning consensus All-Big Ten honorable-mention status from coaches and media. He was one of five Huskies to participate in the 2026 NFL combine, joining wide receiver Denzel Boston, running back Jonah Coleman and cornerback duo Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis. Monday’s pro day gave Willis a chance to build on the performance he displayed in Indianapolis.
“The relationships I’ve made here,” he said, “the things I’ve learned here, are things I will cherish for the rest of my life. This was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
The past three months have flown by for Willis, who played five seasons at Kansas State before transferring to UW in January 2025. Following his performance in Washington’s 38-10 win against Boise State in the LA Bowl, Willis headed to Cleveland where he trained with LeCharles Bentley, the former Rimington Trophy winner and consensus All-American offensive lineman who spent six seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns.
The decision to train with Bentley, a former Pro Bowl center, was intentional. Willis, who almost exclusively played tackle during his time at Kansas State and Washington, said he is mostly being considered an interior offensive lineman at the NFL level. During UW’s pro day, for example, Willis primarily did snapping drills for NFL scouts after declining to do them at the combine.
“As much as I’d love to be a franchise left tackle, I don’t really pass the eye test,” Willis said. “I think I can play tackle. I think I can play any of it, but most people see me on the interior. A guard that can play center is cool. I think a center that can play tackle is pretty rare, so for me, training has been pretty fun. Center is a fun new challenge.”
Of course, Willis has already changed positions effectively in the past. After playing 1,217 snaps at right tackle during his five seasons at Kansas State, Willis flipped to left tackle at UW. Playing under first-year offensive-line coach Michael Switzer — who replaced NFL-bound position coach Brennan Carroll in February 2025 — Willis allowed just 18 pressures and two sacks during 10 games with the Huskies according to Pro Football Focus.
The only thing that slowed Willis down in 2025 was a torn medial collateral ligament he suffered against Ohio State on Sept. 27. The injury kept the Durango, Colo., native out for just three games before he returned on Oct. 25 against Illinois. Washington went 7-2 in games Willis started and completed.
After training with Bentley in Cleveland, Willis headed to Arizona to work with former NFL center C.J. Davis, the lead performance director for Bentley’s AMDG Sports Performance. Willis also participated in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 31. He was listed as an interior offensive line standout by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, along with Kentucky’s Jalen Farmer, Florida’s Jake Slaughter, Miami’s James Brockermeyer and Iowa’s Gennings Dunker, another converted college tackle.
Willis’ next stop was the NFL combine, where he registered a 5.11-second 40-yard dash with a 1.84-second 10-yard split, a 26 1/2-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot broad jump. He did not participate in the three-cone drill, bench press or the shuttle drill.
“It was cool,” Willis said, “but I agree with everyone else. I’m glad I only have to do this once. It’s cool, but this has felt like the longest year and a half of my life, which is wild because it’s only been like three months.”
The combine also made Willis even more appreciative of his time at UW. He said UW coach Jedd Fisch’s frequent emphasis on using NFL terminology and prostyle offense made his interviews significantly easier, echoing the sentiments Boston stated during a combine interview.
“Going into a meeting, and they’re installing your plays — like same terms, same call, all that stuff — is sick,” Willis said. “How the NFL operates is something I really didn’t know much about until I got here. Obviously I don’t know everything, but I’m fairly confident in what I do now.”
Going forward, Willis will continue preparing for the NFL draft, which begins April 23. He’s not stressing about whether he hears his name called. He hasn’t looked at a single mock draft or projection. Willis, who frequently cites the adage “Comparison is the thief of joy” as a personal guiding principle, said he doesn’t want to lock his own mind into a round, number or team.
“I have no idea what the evaluation is,” he said. “I’m just looking to prove myself in training camp. That’s all I can really do.”
And though he spent only one year in Seattle, Willis said he’s excited to watch and cheer on the Huskies next season. Fisch stated Washington is aiming for a College Football Playoff berth in 2026 after the LA Bowl, and Willis said he believes UW has all the talent necessary to take another step forward.
He named redshirt freshman guard Champ Taulealea and sophomore edge rusher Devin Hyde as two potential breakout candidates, but said the whole roster is flooded with burgeoning talent.
“You’ve got everything you want to go win some games,” Willis said. “Put a blindfold on, pick a player, and they’re going to have a great year.”
Andy Yamashita: ayamashita@seattletimes.com. Andy Yamashita is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times, primarily covering Washington Huskies football.