#19 Malik Willis - Liberty Quarterback
- 6'1"
- 225 Pounds
Auburn + Liberty Career College Stats/Accolades/Notes
- 35 Games Played
- 2020 Cure Bowl MVP
- 2021 LendingTree Bowl MVP
- 1x Dudley Award
- 5,176 Passing Yards
- 48 Passing TD - 18 INT
- 2,131 Rushing Yards
- 29 Rushing Touchdowns
Malik Willis is one of the most interesting and sort of mysterious quarterback prospects ever. Malik comes from a relatively little known college by the name of Liberty University located in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Sometimes I forget just how big Virginia is, and how many states it shares a border with. It stretches nearly all the way west equivalent with Indiana. I even forget it touches Tennessee and Kentucky. Sometimes I just picture Virginia as being a smaller state than it really is. I love geography. Here is where Liberty is located in the state of Virginia.
Anyway, that's where the mystery begins for me when it comes to Malik Willis. I barely ever heard of Liberty before Malik Willis. Liberty only became a Division 1 school about four or so years ago, so they certainly still have a small school vibe, especially considering they only sparingly play elite competition due to the fact they are an 'Independent' team. Although in 2023 they'll be in an official conference, Conference USA.
Honestly, I am usually pretty quick to dismiss quarterbacks that come from lesser known smaller colleges. It's relatively rare that they really pan out for great NFL success. But there seemed to be a lot of hype around Malik in this draft, so I looked into him a bit.
Watching film it seems Malik is quite a talented kid. I like how he throws the ball properly despite being a bit of a scrambling type of QB. He's got a very strong arm. His mobility is strong too, which I like. What I mean by strong mobility is that, Malik is no string bean speed demon just sorta running around like a chicken with his head cut off. The guy seems to run with a purpose, and he's clearly a kid that has seen a weight room and done some bench press in his life, unlike some of these younger kids nowadays.
So, his throwing ability seems natural, and his size is solid. He is not an enormous QB by any means, but he has quality height and certainly adequate weight for the position at the next level. So those are pluses I like about Malik.
But the mystery of Malik continues. The more I discover the more I like.
Malik actually does have some experience with a more well known college. Malik initially was a quarterback at Auburn University. But, due to not seeing the field, he chose to transfer to Liberty. Due to his transfer he was actually ineligible to play right away, so all in all he was a college football player for five years.
I kind of think it's a positive that Malik was regarded as a legit prospect rather than simply a dude that came out of nowhere at a small school. He lived up to that bigger school type of potential too and just pretty much dominated at Liberty. An intelligent, dual threat QB.
Another cool fact about Malik is that, pro football runs in his family. His uncle was a pro NFL linebacker for a decade. That family connection I imagine has helped Malik know the ins and outs of the game in general. The game has likely been a big part of his life, for his entire life.
These finer details about Malik really have made me open my eyes up to him more. I am starting to like him.
I have heard that Liberty University runs a pretty basic, practically high school level type of offense which could obviously be problematic. I believe whatever team that drafts him should play the longer game and be prepared to you know actually coach rather than just sending the kid out there on day one. Patience can be rewarding.
Malik Willis seems to have good football instincts, and can pretty much physically make all of the throws. I believe he is indeed a little raw and may need some legit patience, but if a team is willing to adopt a more old school approach and truly guide this young man, this kid could be a star.
All the physical talent, five years in and around college football, football runs in his family. Mr. Willis is a solid QB prospect to consider! A great QB can do WONDERS for a franchise.
He seems like a great person in these interviews!
Which team snags Malik? I have heard the Titans may be interested....
Share your thoughts on Malik below! :)