Malik Willis was a member of the Auburn Tigers under coach Gus Malzahn.

But, when he didn’t win Auburn’s starting job, he transferred to Liberty in 2019, sitting out the 2019 season before developing into a star for Hugh Freeze’s Flames the past 2 seasons.

Now a potential first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Willis joined “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” on WJOX to discuss his transfer decision and what it’s like playing for Freeze:

“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 were a little less calling going on for me. I was just focusing on, ‘Alright, if I get an opportunity, I gotta 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.”

Willis is working to improve his draft stock ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. If he has a big Senior Bowl performance and plays well at the NFL Combine, it’s not crazy to think he could be the first QB off the board in Round 1 this April.