INDIANAPOLIS — When Malik Willis transferred from Auburn to Liberty three years back, the quarterback didn’t do so because he thought it’d be a launching pad to the NFL. Rather, the 22-year-old recalls thinking he was “done.”
He figured he’d play a couple of more years, have fun and ride out his college career.
“We here now,” Willis said. “So, I’m happy.”
“Here” refers to the NFL scouting combine where Willis, after two standout seasons at Liberty, is now considered to be one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s class. He is also perhaps the most polarizing.
With the Flames, Willis electrified with a number of off-script plays that produced eye-popping, big-armed throws and highlights. But that improvisation didn’t always lead to a clean stat line: Wills completed just 62% of his passes with the Flames. And while that’s not an awful percentage, it came mostly against inferior competition — leaving evaluators to wonder how Willis’ accuracy will translate to the next level.
The questions surrounding Willis are why the consensus seems to be that whichever team drafts the 6-foot-1 passer may have to sit the incoming rookie for a year or two in order to be ready. “He would be the one with the most upside,” the NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said. Liberty coach Hugh Freeze also runs a system heavy on run-pass options, raising concerns about whether Willis can run an NFL offense.
But as much as Willis’ college work has been picked over, the quarterback’s demeanor hardly suggests someone bothered by the scrutiny. From the podium Wednesday, with a sea of reporters near, he remained upbeat and even playful.
“Somebody’s always gonna think you’re trash,” Willis said. “That’s just the way the game goes. I’m not playing for their approval. … Everybody’s gonna have an opinion of you, so if you focus so hard on whatever everybody’s opinion is of you, you’re never gonna be happy. I want to be happy, so I’m not gonna think about it.
“You can say what you want to. I’m going to let the opinion of people I trust and can respect affect me.”
Quarterbacks typically say they ignore the outside noise and dismiss hypotheticals, but Willis does so in a way that’s a little offbeat.
What kind of offense suits you best?
One that scores points, he said.
How do you think you’d fit in with the Steelers?
No idea, he replied.
Do you think you’re worthy of being the No. 1 overall pick?
Sure, he said, but not before he made clear he was glad the choice wasn’t up to him.
“I hate that for me,” he said.
For Willis, developing the mental armor to tune out negativity didn’t come easy. Growing up in the Atlanta area, Willis said he didn’t go to a lot of high-profile football camps, so on the few occasions that he did, he said he felt pressed to make a strong impression. After the camps, he was still only considered a three-star recruit — a lower grade than he’d hoped for, and it bothered him. “I hate recruiting,” he says.
Still, as much as Willis says he ignores the skeptics, he acknowledged there are some areas he needs to address before the NFL draft. Primarily, the quarterback says he’s been working on his footwork because that’s where the inaccuracies stem from. In lead up to the draft, Willis has worked with quarterback trainer Quincy Avery — whose clients include Deshaun Watson and Dwayne Haskins, among others.
“He created a lot of bad habits from his posture to his mechanics,” said ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid, who called Willis a “gifted” passer. “And there’s some lower body things that he needs to clean up. He was playing a lot hero ball that affected his mechanics a lot.”
According to ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller, Willis has made a strong impression on teams during the interview process. Compared to last month’s Senior Bowl, Willis said his meetings with teams have involved more Xs-and-Os rather than getting-to-know-you questions. Willis said he’s had no problem diagraming plays — whether it be Liberty’s offense or the plays taught to him during the session.
In a way, that also represents a sign of Willis’ growth. During his press conference, Willis was asked which players he tried to model his game after was growing up. He made a confession: He didn’t start watching football “like that” until high school.
“I used to think it was boring,” he said.
When did that change?
“When I started getting better at it.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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