Malik Willis is a projected first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and could very well be the first quarterback taken off the board. Coming from a smaller school like Liberty, Willis may be a more difficult talent to evaluate heading into the draft process. Despite having made a name for himself at Liberty, Willis' collegiate career actually started out under Gus Malzahn at Auburn, however, he transferred from the program in 2019. Via NFL.com, Willis reflected on his decision to leave the program and seek out a new opportunity at Liberty, claiming he lacked maturity while at Auburn.

Willis wasn't afraid to admit that he had some maturity issues in the past, suggesting that ultimately led to his departure from Auburn. The NFL Draft prospect revealed that he didn't enjoy studying film while at Auburn and that he developed lazy habits, resulting in Malzahn removing him from the QB competition in the spring of 2019.

“[Malzahn] didn’t have to [tell me]. I knew,” Willis said in his interview with Chase Goodbread. “I was so immature. I had just played really well in the spring game, but I learned the hard way that the spring game doesn’t matter. I decided after that meeting that I had to be better, but I needed to find somewhere else to play and find someone to help me get where I needed to go.”

Willis ended up joining Hugh Freeze at Liberty, where he enjoyed two standout seasons. He featured in 10 games as a junior, throwing 20 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions, before returning for a stellar senior season during which he threw 27 TDs and 10 picks. Additionally, Willis rushed for 27 touchdowns and 1,822 yards during his two years at Liberty, showcasing his capabilities as a dual-threat QB.

The potential top QB in the upcoming NFL Draft has seemingly done a lot of growing up since his days at Auburn, and in the end, departing the program was very likely the best move for his NFL career.