Making the case: Why Will Levis could be UK’s starting quarterback this year
We probably won’t officially know who UK’s starting quarterback for the first game of the 2021 season will be until the end of fall camp. Over the course of the next week, the Herald-Leader is breaking down the cases for why each scholarship quarterback on the Wildcats’ roster could, or could not, be this year’s starter. Next up, Will Levis.
Background: Levis committed to Penn State following an offer-earning camp performance in July 2017, about a month after another notable name — Justin Fields — decommitted from the Nittany Lions. He signed with Penn State and spent the last three seasons there under head coach James Franklin. Levis played in 15 games in 2019 and 2020 following a redshirt year in 2018, and made his only career start in a 41-21 loss to Iowa last season (that was his best game as a passer, though; he finished 13 of 16 for 106 yards but was sacked three times). He split snaps last year with Sean Clifford, whose return for a fifth year of eligibility helped prompt Levis’ decision to transfer from Penn State.
Why Will? Billed as a “dual-threat” quarterback, Levis has proved to be effective as a runner at the Power Five level, finishing his short time at Penn State as the school’s 10th leading QB rusher. Kentucky is reinventing itself offensively but will still need a strong QB run threat in order to do everything it wants to do; Jared Goff accounted for about 10 percent of the Los Angeles Rams’ carries each of the last three years, so look for whoever’s handling UK’s reins to be in that neighborhood, too (by comparison: Terry Wilson accounted for 24% of UK’s rushing attempts in 2020). Levis has a cannon attached to his right side, but accuracy issues have been cited as a concern in the past. He’s heard them: Levis for about two years now has worked remotely with Rob Williams, a biomechanics expert, to alter his motion to improve his accuracy and reduce wear and tear. New Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen, prior to joining the Rams, tried to recruit Levis, a Connecticut native, to Maine, for whom he was then offensive coordinator; a pre-existing relationship with a first-year coach might not improve Levis’ chances of winning the job, but it probably won’t hurt them.
Why not? He was deemed worthy of playing time at Penn State but couldn’t outright win the job over Clifford, who isn’t exactly considered a “stud;” Pro Football Focus ranks him 88th of 130 projected starting QBs heading into 2020, fifth-worst in the Big Ten but nine spots ahead of Levis, whom the site likes for UK. Kentucky finds itself in a position where it’s probable top two quarterbacks both were out-dueled at their previous schools, which should make for a good fall competition, but might ultimately lead to a situation that Levis found himself in last year if the race is too close to call. If Levis gets the nod over Joey Gatewood (or Beau Allen), he’ll have his teammates’ backing if they believe in his play; but, if the difference between him and an existing guy on the roster is minimal, it could run the risk of encouraging dissent.
Guest analysis
Jeff Drummond, CatsIllustrated/Rivals: I think we have to look at Levis as the odds-on favorite to win the job based on the fact that this was Liam Coen’s guy from the moment he took the UK job. The new OC clearly believes that Levis is the guy who has all the tools to run the Cats’ new system. That being said, he’s playing catch-up with Joey Gatewood and Beau Allen. If he doesn’t win the job, it will likely be due to the head start those guys got in the spring.
Jon Hale, Courier Journal: Watch his workout videos on social media, and you quickly understand why Liam Coen wanted Levis as a transfer from Penn State. He has a cannon for an arm and proved at Penn State he can make plays with his legs. Even though he wasn’t the full-time starter at Penn State, I don’t think Kentucky added him to the mix to sit on the bench.
Nick Roush, Kentucky Sports Radio: Gatewood has an advantage in familiarity with the scheme and players, but he was not handpicked by the new offensive coordinator. Levis has physical tools that might actually be better than the Auburn transfer and more experience on a Power Five football field. If Levis can consistently make the right reads by the second week of preseason camp, he’ll be taking snaps first on Sept. 4.
Derek Terry, The Cats Pause/247Sports: Levis has the best arm on the team and he has the luxury of being the only quarterback on the roster who was recruited by Liam Coen. He wasn’t with the team in spring practice, but Levis has more experience than any other quarterback on the roster.
