85  Mark Willis
	Class: Sophomore Hometown: Oak Park, Ill. High School: Oak Park & River Forest Height / Weight: 6-4 / 225 Position: Defensive End

UW This Season: Mark Willis will be a member of a defensive line that should be a strength for Wyoming this fall. A solid reserve as a redshirt freshman in 2010. His season was cut short after suffering an injury in the TCU game. He will compete with several veteran Cowboys for playing time in 2011.

2010: Willis played in six games during the season as a reserve defensive end behind Gabe Knapton, who earned Honorable Mention All-Mountain West Conference honors. Willis was credited with four tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks in the six games he played. At the end of his redshirt freshman season, he earned his fi rst Academic All-Conference award.

2009: Redshirted.

High School: Willis had an outstanding senior season at Oak Park & River Forest High School in Oak Park, Ill. He made 89 tackles from his defensive end position, including 15.0 sacks. Willis also forced one fumble, recovered one fumble and had one pass breakup. He earned All-West Suburban Conference honors as a senior. His junior season, Willis was credited with 90 tackles, 19.0 sacks, two pass breakups and one forced fumble. An outstanding student, he was a member of the National Honor Society in high school. He played for head football coach Jim Nudera.

Personal: Born Dec. 26, 1990, he is the only child of Lucy Willis. He had a cousin, Dee Miller, who played football at Ohio State. Willis was also recruited by Akron, Arizona, Colorado, Louisville, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin. Willis is studying journalism in college.