Fourth-and-3 Liberty QB Malik Willis, who is unable to catch a defender, rolls out and throws a perfect pass downfield. (0:41).
Liberty and Coach Hugh Freeze are faced with a fourth-and-3 at Virginia Tech's 38 yard line in the first quarter. Two things are clear.
The Flames are determined to win and star quarterback Malik Willis will be the one with the ball.
On this day in November last year, Liberty was ranked -- although not taken seriously -- at 17-point unranked Virginia Tech.
Willis glances across the line at the Hokies as he contemplates his scholarship offer. This was the only Division I school to initially offer Willis a scholarship.
Chamarri Conner, a defensive back, takes the snap. It should result in a turnover on downs. This is the type of defensive stop that could tip the tide in Virginia Tech's favour.
Willis then spins Conner and continues rolling to his right. He throws a strike down to the sideline to wide receiver Kevin Shaa. Shaa gets a foot in bounds to set Liberty at the 3-yard line.
Kent Austin, Liberty's co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, said that he just shaken his head in the box. "I was like, "I can't believe that he did that."
Two plays later, the Flames have a lead of 14-3 and would hold on for a wild victory of 38-35, undoubtedly the largest in school history.
This is the play that will define Liberty's turnaround and Willis’ seemingly endless future potential. Willis completed 64.2% his passes for 2,250 yard and 20 touchdowns with six interceptions.
Sean McEvoy, Willis' private QB coach, said, "I don't know what other quarterback is college football, and there's got to be a few in the NFL who can make that play." He also works with many of the top collegiate and professional quarterbacks.
This throw was his first season as a college quarterback.
Malik Willis was already here.
Willis started his high school career at Atlanta's Westlake High School. It is best known for being the alma mater to Cam Newton. But Willis didn't start playing full-time quarterback until his senior year when he transferred from Roswell. He felt that no one was biting at him as a recruit.
In June 2016, Willis eventually committed to Virginia Tech. Five months later, Willis would decommit to Virginia Tech and join Auburn and his then-coach Gus Malzahn.
Auburn didn't plan to take a high school quarterback into that class because it had Jarrett Stidham from Baylor in the class (and Stidham was forced to miss a season). The Tigers needed a high school quarterback in order to develop their starting quarterback Sean White at the end 2016.
Rhett Lashlee (current Miami offensive coordinator) said that "Obviously, we have had success with Nick Marshall and Cam Newton," who initially recruited Willis from Auburn. "And so Malik was a man who played for John Ford at Roswell. ... We reached out to John and began talking to Malik. We realized that even though he had committed to Virginia Tech he still wanted to play at Auburn.
He reminded me a lot of Nick. He was tall, athletic, and could run well.
Willis was initially buried in the Auburn depth chart when he arrived, but he quickly rose to become Stidham’s backup. Willis was unable to demonstrate his full potential due to limited snaps and limited options.
McEvoy stated that even though they were up by 30 points in the fourth quarter it was a very short time. "... "... He was not going to be able throw. That was a tough decision for him.
Willis knew that he had to pursue Auburn's 2018 spring game, when he was unable to get reps against their first team.
"I was like, ‘Dang, like no love?’" Willis stated. "After the game [Malzahn] stated that I did almost perfect. The next day, Malzahn was like, "Uh, yeah, we're going to have to trim down the competition." After all that, I was just like, "OK, I gotta go."
Willis admires Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson because he uses his sporting success to promote his religious beliefs. He relied on his faith when he was looking for his next destination. He wanted a chance.
Willis stated, "I don’t believe there’s anything in life that you prayed for that you didn’t receive." He will give you what your heart desires and he will do it on his own time. You can't do anything about it, you just have to be faithful.
"I can remember being so humble and asking for an opportunity to show my talents, I was like, literally, like, "Please, like, can you just give me the chance to go someplace?" "I remember, like literally being like, "Please, like, can I just have an opportunity to go somewhere and show what my capabilities are?" Then, I asked constantly, "Just let me glorify you name, however it is, let me use that platform."
Liberty was defeated by No. 12 Coastal Carolina in Cure Bowl. Reinhold Matay USA TODAY Sports
Willis knew little about Liberty before his official visit.
He said, "I had to be able come somewhere to play." "I chose a place that met my need. That was it. It was all that mattered to me. It didn't matter to me where I was going."
Willis had just checked his daily Bible verses app before his official visit. The app showed 2 Corinthians 3:17.
The Lord is the Spirit, and Liberty is found where the Spirit is.
Willis saw the verse when he walked into Liberty’s facility the next day.
"I'm like, "Ain't nobody way." It's impossible. Willis stated, "I ain’t even tell anybody that." "I kept it to myself. "But I knew immediately that this was the place I was supposed to go.
Willis made his commitment to Liberty on July 9, 2019, but he was forced to miss the rest of the year due to his transfer.
From the beginning, Willis and Freeze have had a mutually beneficial relationship. Willis appreciates Freeze's QB-friendly offense that allows him to display all his elite skills. Freeze has a quarterback that can use his offensive mind.
Freeze stated, "You know the numbers don’t lie." "If you take a look at my entire career, from little ol’ Lambeth University to Arkansas State to Ole Miss, we have broken all the offensive records at those schools. We've done this with many different quarterbacks.
"In my first year, Buckshot (Stephen Calvert) was with me. He couldn't keep up with me. So, you know what? I have to get rid of this half of my playbook, probably for him. We won, we did it.
However, Liberty was surrounded by controversy after George Floyd's murder and the coronavirus pandemic.
Jerry Falwell Jr. was then the university's president. A racist tweet showed two people in blackface and one in a Ku Klux Klan jacket and robe. Asia Todd, a freshman player on Liberty's women’s basketball team, said she was moving "due to the racism shown within the leadership culture" at school.
Two cornerbacks for Liberty, Tayvion Land "Tank" Land, and Kei’Trel Clark, were both transferred. Land mentioned "racial insensitivity demonstrated by leadership" while Clark noted the "cultural [incompetence] at multiple levels of leadership." Land later spoke out to Slate about an incident where a professor said, "Don’t be afraid. I won't pull out my whip to hit you with it."
Willis stated that he was close friends with Land, but didn't know all the details. He said he didn't know Falwell's political views before arriving at Liberty. However, he stated that he felt at home at Liberty and that "nothing has ever happened to him."
Willis attended classes on Liberty's campus during his 2019 redshirt season. Since then, he has only needed to be at Liberty's football field to complete his classwork. Willis is now enrolled in online courses to complete his MBA.
Willis stated that "football brings people together from all backgrounds, cultures, religions, and environments." You just need to be open and communicate with one another. That's what will bring you all closer. They fight with their siblings, cousins, and other family members, but they always come back together as a family. This is how it should be.
Willis knew three things that he loved about Liberty: Hugh Freeze was there and his offense; it's a institution that values faith; Freeze's strength- and conditioning staff from Mississippi were there.
He said, "Those were the three important things I needed to hear." "I don’t care about the fact that the school doesn’t have this or that because it’s a Christian school. It doesn't matter to us. But what's the point? This is what I came here for.
He said, "I came to work." "I came to work."
Liberty's football team lifts on Wednesday morning in mid July. Moneybagg Yo dominates plays over the loud speakers blasting through Liberty's $20million facility, located behind Williams Stadium's north end zone. Jay-Z and Rihanna's "Run This Town", briefly plays, but it is quickly stopped for more Moneybagg. The Flames maintain a consistent vibe during morning lift.
Willis approaches Ralfs Rusins (a senior redshirt defensive tackle) and begins to hype him up. He pats him on the shoulders and backs and smiles.
Rusins questions Willis: "You want to do dumbbell row with me?" He proceeds to grab a 150-pound dumbbell. Willis replies, "I'll do them with you, but that's not 10 reps." "Not three sets."
Willis was enjoying the lift session and has been relaxed. He did sets using a 120-pound dumbbell. Because of his linebacker-esque build, a stranger wouldn't be able to identify Willis as the quarterback. As teams discovered last fall, Willis is the most powerful player on the field and has the fastest speed.
Willis couldn't answer your question about 2020, despite showing these skills every Saturday last autumn. He will tell you what he needs to improve on and give you a list of plays that he hasn't made.
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He said, "I swear that I can recall every bad throw I made. It's like it's ingrained into my memory."
Willis doesn't seem to be down about himself when he speaks of his 2020 season. Willis will share his mistakes and the reasons he made them. It fuels him as his second year as an apprentice.
Willis stated that "I don’t feel like last year was a great one." "I felt like I had a decent first year playing, but I know I can improve and build this platform to glorify God at the end.
"Now that I am in my second year, I have a better understanding of what Coach Kent [Austin] has to say to me about coverage and what each player needs to do to be successful on the defensive side. It's a lot easier to understand that. ... It's just that I don't feel like I had it last year. It was more like I was there. I was familiar with the coverage and I was familiar with the plays. But now, I feel more at ease. I feel more confident."
Austin stated, "Malik has an incredible work ethic. He also takes coaching. He is a man who wants to improve. He doesn't want to lose a single day on that path of improvement. He is a... He arrives at work each day to not only understand the game schematically, but also to make sure he is consistent.
Willis also strives to share that same energy with his team by taking on a leadership role.
Maurice Harris, Liberty's co-offensive coordinator, and wide receivers coach, said that Harris "does a really great job of holding other boys accountable." He understands that if all the guys around him are doing their P's and Qs, we will be very, very successful as an entire team and play at a high level. He has a great, simple mindset that understands what it takes to not only be successful but to make the team successful.
Willis did, however, offer one thing that he liked about 2020. Willis, who led Flames to a 10-1, record and a win over Coastal Carolina at the Cure Bowl, said, "Winning." "It's the only thing that I enjoyed about last year."
The quarterback and head coach will not give you any expectations about Liberty's performance on the field this season. While Freeze acknowledges that he expects great things from Willis, they are in agreement on everything else. It's all about improving every day.
The rest of football can't help but be impressed by Willis' talent, and how high he could be selected in 2021's NFL draft. Willis is the No. 1 prospect according to ESPN's Todd McShay. Mel Kiper Jr. has Willis at No. 7 overall prospect. 15. (He is No. He is the No. 3 quarterback for both analysts, behind only Spencer Rattler from Oklahoma and Sam Howell from North Carolina.
Quincy Avery, McEvoy and his private quarterback coaches are ready to prepare him for life in the NFL. They also know how to handle the criticisms and scrutiny that comes with being a Black quarterback. McEvoy and Avery trained Trey Lance as well as Justin Fields. Fields had disingenuous narratives about him over the weeks and months leading up to the draft.
They know what analysts will say. He's not pro-style enough or isn't reading defenses correctly.
Avery stated, "He does all the things that every college quarterback does." He does them with less talent than the rest. He's helping his team to succeed. I will be frustrated and I will know it.
He said that Malik excels at all the tasks they expect you to do in the NFL 2021. He can push the ball down the field and extend plays with his legs. This could make him a key cog for running quarterback design runs (or quarterback RPOs) (run-pass options). He can stretch defense in many ways, from how he pushes the ball down to how easy he runs, which can cause problems for teams. I think we both know that that's the direction that the game is heading.
Freeze is aware that the NFL is trending in this direction. Multiple NFL teams have reached out to Freeze and scheduled Zoom calls. They discussed Liberty's offense and his favourite RPOs. Freeze has not yet had these calls with NFL teams regarding Willis.
He said, "But they're coming." To be completely honest with Malik, I believe everyone is in a wait and see mode. ... I don't know anyone who's just going to say, "Let's pretend he was our guy." All this talk will be meaningless unless we have a product that's equal to or better than what they've seen in Year 2.
Willis won't talk about his potential in the NFL, just like the great plays he made during 2020. He will admit that reaching his potential is something he wants, but not before he gets there.
He said, "That's what I pray for." "'Can I reach it?' "Can I reach it?" I pray for it, to realize the potential I have been blessed with. That's all. You can still get there. Keep going."
