FRISCO, Texas — All Malik Washington wanted was an opportunity.
Turns out, he got one.
After transferring from Northwestern to Virginia, Washington stepped into a starting role for the Cavaliers and proceeded to break a number of ACC and program records, bursting onto the NFL draft scene.
In his one season with the Cavaliers, Washington hauled in 110 receptions for 1,426 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. The receptions and yards set Virginia program records. Not only that, Washington broke an ACC record for receptions in a single season, one that had stood since 2008.
Now, after his record-setting season at Virginia, Washington’s NFL prospects look very promising as the Cavaliers star looks like the best player — by far — here at the 99th East-West Shrine Bowl.
“I think for a lot of guys, there’s probably a lot of guys in college football that would probably say this, but it’s opportunity,” Washington told Steelers Depot regarding what led to his breakout. “And you know, like being put in the right situation, being put with people that really, really believe in you and want to give you the chance and not force you the ball or anything, but like when they see you making plays, let’s get this guy the ball, let’s make sure he’s touching the ball X amount of times ’cause that’s how we’re going to move our offense forward.
“And so I think I had a lot of belief in me from that coaching staff room. I had a lot of belief in that locker room. And so, for me to go out there and do those things is ’cause those guys believed in me, which led me to believe in myself.”
That belief from the coaching staff and teammates played a huge role in Washington believing in himself as a complete receiver and overall playmaker. As that confidence grew, it led to Washington becoming an unstoppable force for the Cavaliers.
Washington’s 9.17 receptions per game were a single-season ACC record and the highest of any player in FBS. He did all that while catching a pass in all 12 games, finishing his career with 37 straight games with a reception, dating back to his time at Northwestern.
Checking in at 5081, 192 pounds, Washington is certainly on the smaller side for the position. But based on the way the NFL game has evolved over the years, Washington has the makings of a dynamic weapon. He’s built similarly to Miami’s Tyreek Hill in that he’s smaller but has a thick, powerful frame.
Despite being smaller, Washington is dynamic after the catch thanks to his vision, contact balance and power. He’s a quick-twitch athlete, and as he stated to Steelers Depot, defenders can’t hit what they can’t touch.
“I think it’s hard for anybody to be like, ‘Yeah I wanna be like guys that’s 4.1, 4.2 speed.’ But I think for me, it’s emulating guys like [Hill] that are just smaller but have the strength to play at the next level, that have the speed, have just the mindset to play at the next level despite the size,” Washington said. “I mean, the size really doesn’t matter once you get there, because at that point you still gotta tackle me. I don’t care how tall you are, how short you are, you gotta tackle me.
“I don’t care how big you are, I don’t care if you play d-line or safety. Like, you’re gonna have to come and try to tackle me. And I don’t think it’s gonna be easy. So for me, I think it’s just mimicking my game after some of those guys that just play tough at the catch, play tough in between the white lines and just try their best to make a play, because that’s who I am.”
That certainly showed up on tape during his one season at Virginia. The Cavaliers used him in a number of ways, moving him all over the formation while searching for ways to get him the football, whether that was on short, quick routes or on longer routes down the field. They knew he was a dynamic playmaker, one who could change games in a hurry.
To Washington’s credit, he did that time and time again.
Now, he’s aiming to do that in the NFL. So far, he’s doing that here at the Shrine Bowl, turning heads and generating quite a bit of buzz.
Much like he was searching for entering his one year at Virginia, Washington is looking for an opportunity in the NFL. Fortunately for him, it’s coming in a hurry.
