[ad_1]
AUBURN, Alabama – Auburn Quarterback Malik Willis entered his name on the NCAA Transfer Portal.
A source close to the acting quarterback told Auburn Undercover that he entered his name on the portal Thursday afternoon after informing Auburn coaching staff of his intention to leave the program. Willis is a junior and he was expected to be the third quarterback after being beaten for the spring job. Bo Nix or Joey Gatewoodthe two freshmen will be competing for the starting job in August.
Willis listed his name on the transfer portal Thursday, the first day of summer courses at Auburn University.
Willis has arrived in Auburn as a 3-star candidate, but has shown promise as a freshman and sophomore reserve alternate behind the starter Jarrett Stidham in 2017 and 2018.
He was a breathtaking player, especially on zone play games. He could apparently carry any postponement to the end zone for a touchdown during his first year season. When Jarrett Stidham ended his career, he was seen as the next man. But something has happened. He began making bad decisions during the zone reading offense during the 2018 season and was even dropped for security reasons against the humble state of Alabama.
He ran for 221 yards in just 16 attempts as a rookie, including a 67-yard touchdown against the state of Mississippi. He finished with 88 rushing yards and a 12-run touchdown last season. His 16 rush attempts in 2017 included 48, 62 and 67 yards.
Willis had 11 of 14 passes for 69 yards and one touchdown in his career. He played in 15 games.
The coaches were optimistic about his future towards the end of the 2017 season.
"He's getting better and better," said Auburn offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey said at the end of October. "He is obviously very talented. He understands the offense better than he did at first, and I think he's getting more and more comfortable. We managed to get him to participate in some games because we had his head, which was very nice, allowing him to enjoy a quality game time. I think it's going to pay off, maybe this season, but it's safe for the future. "
*** Get 30% off as a subscriber to get the latest recruits and teams from Auburn ***
*** Get the latest Auburn news in your inbox for free ***
Willis has been entrusted with the reins of the first offensive team in the spring of 2018, while Stidham was recovering from an operation at the shoulder but did not improve his stock . He struggled during the A day scramble, completing only 8 of his 20 passes for 45 yards. He also fumbled once, but recovered the ball. Disappointing readings on the 2018 season's options games, coupled with its difficulties in the spring, have led to mainly taking second and third-team representatives in the spring of 2019. At the time of l '. arrival of the A-Day match in April, he clear Willis would be the quarterback in the best case. Instead, he left the spring as third quarterback behind Gatewood, a freshman in the red shirt, and Nix, a real freshman. Malzahn listed Nix and Gatewood as "1 and 1A" on the depth chart earlier this month.
The native of Georgia was electric in class 7A in high school. he He spent 2,562 yards and ran 1,033 as a senior while totaling 37 touchdowns.
[ad_2]
Source link