Will Levis Won't Play in Bowl Game, Finishes Collegiate Career as Kentucky Quarterback

The face of Kentucky football's time as Wildcat quarterback is over.

Will Levis has announced that he will forgo playing in Kentucky's bowl game, ending his two-year stint as starting quarterback for the Wildcats. 

Thank you #BBN 💙 pic.twitter.com/VYkrC4j2yM

— Will Levis (@will_levis) December 7, 2022

“If I have one thing to hold in my heart from my time here in Lexington, it’s that Kentucky has my back and that everything ahead of me wouldn’t be possible without the support and encouragement I received along the way,” Levis wrote. 

In 24 games under center for UK, Levis totaled a 17-7 record, throwing for 5,233 yards and 43 touchdowns while also rushing for 11 scores. He will now prepare for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Levis transferred to Lexington after the end of the 2020 season following two years at Penn State, where he threw for 644 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in limited action. 

He then won a three-man competition for the starting QB job in 2021, beating out Joey Gatewood and Beau Allen, both of whom were not on the roster in 2022. Levis was considered the best fit for the new offense under then-offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who left after one season in Lexington. 

2021 was a breakout year for the 6-foot-3, 232-pounder. He threw for 2,827 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also rushed for 376 yards and nine touchdowns as Kentucky won 10 games for just the fourth time in program history, capped off by a 20-17 Citrus Bowl win over Iowa. 

After announcing he would return to Kentucky for a second season, the NFL hype ensued. Levis was touted as one of the most "pro-ready" QBs in college football and has been featured near the top of mock drafts since the beginning of his senior campaign. 

His final year wasn't as productive as his first in blue and white, however. Battling through a turf toe injury, Levis was far from 100 percent healthy for a majority of the season, even missing one game against South Carolina on Oct. 8. 

He threw for 2,406 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while his rushing numbers took a major hit, as he found the end zone with his feet just twice. Kentucky finished the regular season with a disappointing 7-5 record. 

Despite the dip on the stat sheet, ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. still has Levis as his fourth-highest-rated prospect. 

Though he spent just two seasons in Lexington, Levis will leave as one of the better quarterbacks in program history, as well as one of the more popular players to dawn blue and white in recent memory. 

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops had this to say about his QB on Nov. 28: 

“I told him the same thing I told Josh Allen back in the day. In the same way, his legacy is set. I’m quite sure all of our listeners, you, me and everybody who’s listening to this is appreciative of what he’s done and how hard he’s played, what he’s done for us. If that was his last game, then none of us will think any different because he is a tough human being, a tough guy, laid it on the line for his team." 

Levis is sixth on the program’s all-time passing yards list and fifth on the program’s all-time passing touchdown list.

While he won't play in the Music City Bowl, Levis did say that we will remain with the tea

Who will replace Will Levis as Kentucky QB next season? Our QB transfer portal tracker can be seen here.

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

Sports Illustrated also offers insight, information and up to the minute details for gamblers. Check it out here.

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

Sports Illustrated also offers insight, information and up to the minute details for gamblers. Check it out here.