Before he was one of the hottest names at quarterback when it comes to the NFL draft, Liberty quarterback Malik Willis was on the Auburn roster.
Rated as the nation’s No. 21 athlete in the 2017 recruiting class, Willis signed to play football for Gus Malzahn with the Tigers. He would appear in just 12 games over two seasons, throwing 14 passes for 69 yards and one touchdown. Willis added 309 yards and two more touchdowns on the ground.
Following the 2018 Music City Bowl game where Auburn throttled Purdue 63-14, Willis wouldn’t play another snap for the Tigers. He would become the quarterback at Liberty under former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze. He transferred in 2019 after not winning the starting job.
Willis now finds himself closer and closer to hearing his name called on the stage for the NFL draft. However, when remembering his time at Auburn, he said “I was so immature.” Willis wasn’t in consideration for the starting job and former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn didn’t have to tell him the exact reason.
Malzahn didn’t specifically say Willis’ lack of commitment in the film room was the reason, but …
“He didn’t have to. I knew,” Willis said. “I was so immature. I had just played really well in the spring game, but I learned the hard way that the spring game doesn’t matter. I decided after that meeting that I had to be better, but I needed to find somewhere else to play and find someone to help me get where I needed to go.” – via Chase Goodbread, NFL
This happened to be one of those situations where the transfer was all for the best. Willis needed a wake-up call and a coach to take him under his wing. He found that at Liberty.