Players to know for Kentucky: Will Levis

As Georgia prepares for its final SEC clash of the season against Kentucky, we take a look at Kentucky starting quarterback Will Levis.

Christian Kirby II | Nov 16, 2022

The Kentucky Wildcats have been a relatively underwhelming team so far this season. After beginning the season as a top-10 team, they will almost certainly be unranked in tonight's College Football Playoff rankings. Their quarterback, Will Levis has unfortunately been a reflection of the team's disappointment.

This season, The Wildcats are just 6-4 with all 4 losses coming to SEC opponents (which included a major upset to the Vanderbilt Commodores at home last Saturday.)

Levis, a 3-star transfer from Penn State according to 247sports, was highly regarded as a recruit due to his "pro-style" physical build and excellent arm strength. In 2021, he led Kentucky to an impressive 10-3 record where he completed an efficient 66% of his passes and threw for just over 2,800 yards. Coming into his second year with the program, Levis and the Wildcats were expected to make a big jump and even potentially compete for the Eastern division in the SEC.

Head coach Mark Stoops and Kentucky run a "pro-style" offense which typically requires multiple pre-snap reads, the ability to play under center, and an accurate arm from its quarterback. Many NFL scouts believe that QBs who run offensive styles such as these transition to the NFL much more seamlessly. Listed at 6"4, 222 pounds, Will Levis fits the bill perfectly.

Because of this, Levis found himself on the Heisman watchlist and was even ranked very highly on Mel Kiper's Big Board as a potential No.1 overall pick in the 2022 preseason. However, he has turned in a performance that is eerily similar to a year ago and his team's disappointing record may indicate that Levis is not quite the first-round talent he was projected to be. He currently sits in the middle of the SEC with just over 2,000 yards, is currently 5th in passing touchdowns and has already been sacked 12 more times than he was last season. Unfortunately for Levis and the Wildcat offense, they will face their hardest challenge by far in Georgia's defense this Saturday.

In the previous matchup, Levis threw for a stout 76.2% and 2 touchdowns against a legendary 2021 Georgia defense which at the time had not allowed more than 1 touchdown a game. However, while he did complete the ball at a very high percentage, Levis only threw for 192 yards and failed to complete a pass of longer than 16 yards the entire game.

Kentucky has been criticized multiple times this season for their simple and often ineffective offensive schemes and is currently only averaging 23.3 points per game. They will most likely struggle to move the ball against an elite Georgia defense that is only allowing 11.6 points per game. While Will Levis does have an impressive arm and usually makes very efficient throws, expect him and the Wildcat offense to struggle at home against this vaunt Bulldogs defense on Saturday.

You May Also Like: