How Hugh Freeze saved quarterback Malik Willis
Malik Willis was riding the pine behind other quarterbacks at Auburn. Seeing the writing on the wall, he decided to hit the transfer portal before eventually landing at Liberty University.
Willis went from having no chance at playing time with Auburn, to a 3rd round draft pick after completing 62 percent of his passes for 5,107 yards, 47 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions at Liberty.
He can thank Hugh Freeze for that.
Freeze on Willis, what he wants in his quarterback
Msn.com reporter Ben Arthur tells a story of Freeze wanting to pull his hair out at practice regarding Willis running a red-zone drill.
Long story, short, it was Willis that calmed Freeze down saying that they will get them (the defense) next time. Freeze then knew he had the right guy.
“He buys into being, number one, the best individual he can be, and the best teammate and player he can be,” Freeze said about Willis in a Liberty press conference. “He kind of sees it in that order. He’s probably more excited for a teammate that does well or has one of those outings that wows people. That’s rare for a young man to be so grounded and confident, yet humble. He makes everybody around him better.”
Willis on Freeze
Freeze had very little to go off of from a film perspective on Willis. The transfer portal quarterback didn’t play much at Auburn, and certainly didn’t take any meaningful snaps. Freeze liked his high school film and needed depth at quarterback. Willis felt drawn to the Christian University and to Freeze’s offense.
Willis had this to say on “McElroy and Cubelic in the morning” in February.
“I mean, I wasn’t starting and I wanted to play football, so I had to do something,” Willis said. “Little did I know that transfer portal is a hard place when you’re not a 5-star. I wasn’t a big recruit, so when I got in that portal, there was a little less calling going on for me. I was just focusing on, ‘Alright, if I get an opportunity I have to take advantage of it.’ I ended up getting about 3 or 4. Liberty seemed like the best place, just with Hugh Freeze and his offense, that coaching staff, those guys and then the opportunity.”
Bottom Line
Willis finished his college career at Liberty with a 17-6 record as the starting quarterback under Hugh Freeze.
Freeze had success in the past with dual threat quarterbacks such as Chad Kelly. He was able to build the offense around Willis’ talents while also bring him along as a passing threat.
Willis was not drafted to throw the ball 30 times a game. In his two NFL starts as a rookie, Willis attempted a combined 26 passes. Those games resulted in a win against the Houston Texans and an overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Freeze, and quarterback coach Kent Austin, understood Willis’ limitations while also pushing his boundaries for the good of the offense. Willis became more of a pocket quarterback than he realized he could be.
While he fell two rounds in the draft because of his lack of elite precision as a passer, he was still taken early due to his athleticism and promise as a passer. Freeze helped him achieve that.
