Personal Background

• All-American Second Team, 2018
• All-ACC Second Team, 2018
• 2018 Captains’ Award, Miami Coaches
• 2018 Jack Harding Team MVP, Miami Coaches
• 2018 Strength Training Athlete of the Year and Victors Club, Miami Coaches
• Took a leave of absence in 2017, did not play in any games
• Sat out the 2015 season after transferring from Florida to Miami

Courtesy of Miami Football.

Injury History

• No significant injuries reported

Production

• 18 TFLs and 4 sacks (34 solo tackles) in 12 games, the most for a DT in FBS, 2018
• 5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks (13 solo tackles) in 9 games in 2016
• 14 total tackles, 2 QB hurries, and 1 fumble recovery in 8 games as a true freshman at Florida in 2014
• Career-high 4 TFLs (8 total tackles), 1 sack, and 1 pass deflection against LSU, 2018

Film Reviewed

• LSU (2018) – TV
• Toledo (2018) – TV
• Florida State (2018) – TV
• Virginia (2018) – TV
• Boston College (2018)

Combine Measurements

• Height: 6’2”
• Weight: 302 lbs
• Hand: 8-1/2”
• Arm: 33”

Strengths

• Is a good-sized under tackle with average arm length and overall athleticism. He plays with a good get-off when one-gapping.
• Flashes powerful hands and good upper body strength when facing run blockers one-on-one. Capable of stacking and shedding angle and base blocks when he uses proper pad level and technique.

• Can reset the line of scrimmage when he combines a low pad level with leg drive (H/T Quintin Lash).

• Proficient using the arm-over move with the lateral agility and sufficient burst to penetrate gaps.

• Has the power to push the pocket against inferior opponents to affect the quarterback. (H/T DeludedYinzer).

• Displays a good closing burst when given a lane to the quarterback.

Weaknesses

• Plays with a high pad level. This causes him to struggle versus combo blocks or double teams. He’ll give ground easily in these situations.

• Over-reliant on his arm-over move. Rarely displays any counters or variations from it, allowing blockers to catch on and adjust.
• When not using the arm-over or swim, he often tries to dig underneath blockers with his shoulder to push through gaps, giving opponents easy access to his body. He doesn’t possess the upfield burst and power to get away with this in the NFL.
• Doesn’t convert speed to power consistently, particularly against solid to above average competition. His legs stop churning on contact too quickly.
• Must improve his overall hand usage. Needs to do more to keep blockers from grabbing him and to disengage when they do.

Overall

Gerald Willis was a difficult evaluation because he played only one year at Miami and showcased so much promise in the season opener versus LSU, but outside of facing a couple of inferior opponents, he never quite approached that same level of disruption afterward. His performance at Boston College, two-thirds of the way into the 2018 season, showed an almost night and day difference to that of LSU or Toledo.

The former Hurricane showcases some intriguing traits in his get-off, grip strength, and arm-over proficiency. He’s a solid athlete overall with average change of direction and movement skills to contribute on stunts and slants. He also played with nice lateral agility and closing burst when given the opportunity. And he possesses the capability to win one-on-ones when using proper pad level and technique.

However, he’s largely a one-trick pony right now, since he uses his arm-over move so frequently. Although he has room to grow and could likely be a better pro than college player, Willis remains a raw talent and a volatile selection before the third round. He needs a lot of improvement and variation in his hand techniques and must learn to disengage from blockers more consistently and keep his body clean from their hands. He hasn’t shown the upfield burst or play strength to charge through gaps on athleticism alone.

Ultimately, the redshirt senior out of Miami best fits as a three-technique in a one-gapping system. He’s a rotational contributor who teams can win with in his rookie season with the upside to become a starter by his third year. As stated before, Willis’s lack of refinement and seemingly inconsistent performance through 2018 make him a risky prospect. Teams will most likely consider him a late day-2 or day-3 selection.

 

You can follow Allan on Twitter at @AllanUy22