Bo Nix is not the only former Auburn quarterback making an impact this NFL season. Malik Willis has stepped in for an injured Jordan Love as the Green Bay Packers continue on their quest for a division championship.

Willis is in his second season with the Green Bay Packers and has shown himself to be one of the more reliable backups in the NFL. Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens will be his first start of the 2025 season, but his third game appearance. He appeared earlier in the season versus the New York Giants early in the game when Love went down with an injury. Willis connected with Christian Watson for a touchdown to give the Packers an early led before Love returned to guide Green Bay to a 27-20 victory.

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Last week, Willis had to step in once again when Love suffered a concussion early against the Chicago Bears. Despite the 22-16 loss in overtime that featured a fumble by Willis, he played well. He was 9 of 11 for 121 yards and one touchdown. He also showed off his running ability, gaining 44 yards on ten carries. The Packers did clinch a playoff spot due to the Lions’ loss to the Vikings on Thursday. However, Green Bay can still win the NFC North with wins in its last two games of the season and losses by the Chicago Bears.

Willis had an interesting college career that began at Auburn and ended at Liberty, where he developed as an NFL prospect under Hugh Freeze. At Auburn for the 2017 and 2018 seasons, he was the backup quarterback behind Jarrett Stidham. There, he was used more as a zone read option at quarterback and rushed for 309 yards and two touchdowns. He only attempted 14 passes during those two seasons for just 69 yards.

He then transferred to Liberty after the 2018 season, with Nix arriving on the plains. Willis would have to sit out the 2019 season due to the transfer rules at the time. Under Freeze, he flourished. In 2020, he passed for 2,260 yards and 20 touchdowns with a 64% completion rate. That season, Liberty went 10-1 and defeated Coastal Carolina in the Cure Bowl. They followed that up with an 8-5 season in 2021 and a win over Eastern Michigan in the LendingTree Bowl. Willis threw for 2,857 yards and 27 touchdowns that season. He also added 878 rushing yards with 13 touchdowns.

His success at Liberty resulted in Willis being drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He would struggle in his two seasons with the Titans and would be traded to the Packers before the 2024 season. He guided Green Bay to two victories early in the season when Love was out with an injury. Willis is set to become a free agent after the season, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes that several teams could have their eyes on Willis this offseason.

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Auburn fans can see Willis in action on Saturday night when the Green Bay Packers host the Baltimore Ravens at 7 p.m. CT on Peacock.

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn football: Malik Willis earns start for Packers vs. Ravens