Coming into the 2021 college football season, it was a wide-open race to be the top quarterback prospect in the 2022 NFL draft class.
Now that this year’s top passers have a handful of games under their belts, a clear leader in the clubhouse has emerged in Liberty’s Malik Willis, who has outshined some of the other big names from more established programs so far this season.
While the likes of Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler and North Carolina’s Sam Howell have been inconsistent throughout the early going of the 2021 campaign, Willis has remained a steady source of impressive play.
While some might be quick to point out Willis’ athleticism as a trait that separates him from the rest of this year’s class (and rightly so), it’s Willis’ dynamic arm talent and decision-making ability that should really have NFL teams excited about his potential at the next level.
Willis is completing over 71 percent of his passes so far this season, with 10 touchdowns and not a single interception through four games. The Flames’ only loss was a tight 24-21 road defeat against Power 5 opponent Syracuse, in which Willis tossed a trio of scores while averaging more than 10 yards per attempt.
Indeed a dangerous playmaker with his legs, as well, Willis rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 14 scores last year. So far this season, he’s got 274 yards and four more touchdowns on the ground.
Willis is proving himself to be the total package in this year’s quarterback class, with all of the physical and mental tools to be a franchise passer at the next level. For those reasons, it shouldn’t be surprising to see him at the top of every quarterback rankings list for the 2022 NFL draft moving forward.
