On the eve of Liberty’s 2022 training camp opening, former quarterback Malik Willis called head coach Hugh Freeze to wish him well on the new season.
“He Face-timed me (Thursday) night,” Freeze said Friday following the team’s first practice of camp. “It was good to hear from him. He knew we were starting camp and wanted to wish us well.”
Willis is currently in Nashville going through his first professional training camp with the Tennessee Titans. The 6’1″, 219-pound quarterback was taken by the NFL franchise with the 86th pick of the 2022 draft. The Titans traded up to make him the highest-drafted quarterback by the franchise since Marcus Mariota was taken No. 2 overall in 2016. Willis threw for 2,857 yards and 27 touchdowns last season for the Flames with 12 interceptions while running for another 13 touchdowns.
Early reviews out of camp for the Titans have been mixed about Willis. There have been glimpses of the ability he has to be a star quarterback in the NFL, but there have also been times he has made questionable or delayed decisions. That is all a process as the former college star makes the adjustment to the next level.
“He’s pleased with where he is,” Freeze said of Willis. “He thinks he’s comprehending things well. Typical Malik is very patient and not caught up in how fast he gets time or not, he just wants to get better every day. I think he is approaching it the right way.”
Ryan Tannehill is the starter in Tennessee, the defending AFC South champions. On a team that is competing for the playoffs, they are likely to let the veteran run the show for the time being. The challenge for Willis now is whether he can progress fast enough to challenge Logan Woodside for the No. 2 job, a spot that Woodside has held the past couple seasons.
Titans QB coach Pat O’Hara said earlier this month that he has been impressed with the young quarterback’s ability to retain information. That doesn’t come as a surprise to Freeze.
“In our two years with him I felt he was able to process things very well and in most games executed really well with decision making,” said Freeze. “That doesn’t surprise me.”
Freeze also thinks it’s a great situation for Malik to be in.
“I honestly felt good about Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Tennessee probably would have been the top three that I felt like were really good places for him,” said Freeze. “I don’t think there’s pressure to go in. You can sit behind a veteran and learn if that’s what you are called on to do. I think it’s a good spot. You’ve got a veteran to learn behind and a really good defense and a good system.”
Willis, who agreed to terms with the Titans in late July, took part in all of the team’s OTAs and minicamp earlier this summer. He was Liberty’s leading rusher the past two seasons, rushing 197 times for 878 yards in 2021. He brings that ability to a Tennessee team that also features one of the best running backs in the league in Derrick Henry. Coach Freeze salivates at the options the two dynamic runners offer.
“There’s a package that you can go in and run with Derrick Henry, I’d like to call that play,” said the Liberty head coach. “I have a few ideas for those two to make it tough on some short yardage and red zone stuff.”
