Will Levis

PRO: The Titans selected Will Levis in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-4-inch, 229-pounder is a strong-armed signal caller that displays leadership under center, accuracy from the pocket and grit as a runner. A native of Madison, Conn., he spent two seasons at Kentucky, after transferring from Penn State. During his two seasons as the Wildcats' starting signal caller, he directed the program to 17 victories and a pair of bowl appearances. He was the fourth quarterback drafted in 2023 after the Titans traded up in the second round to select him.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
•   Levis finished his career with a 17-7 record as a starter at Kentucky, tying Terry Wilson for the second-most quarterback wins since 1993. 
•   In two seasons at Kentucky, Levis completed 418 of 636 passes for 5,233 yards with 43 passing touchdowns and 11 rushing scores.
•   Levis, a two-time team captain for the Wildcats, notched six 300-yard passing games at Kentucky, the fourth-most in school history.

TITANS TIDBITS: 
•   Levis comes from a family of athletes. His great grandfather, Alva Kelley, was an All-America football player at Cornell University and won a National Championship in 1939. His mother, Beth Kelley Levis, was two-time All-America soccer player at Yale and has been inducted into the Connecticut Girls' Soccer Association Hall of Fame. His father, Mike, was a tight end at Denison University. His uncle, David Kelley, also was an Academic All-America football player at Yale.
•   Levis has used his platform to make a difference in the community. He set up a Cameo campaign to raise money for flood victims in eastern Kentucky in 2022 and organized an autograph signing with fellow teammates to gather funds for tornado victims in western Kentucky in 2021.   He has also volunteered with Amachi, an organization that aims to assist children affected by incarceration.
•   The best advice Levis has ever received is "never give up." His grandfather used to end every sentence he ever had with him with those words and it took him a while to realize how meaningful they are, but he now uses it as his personal mantra. It is the impetus behind the tattoo on his arm "2nd Chronicles 15:7." The verse says, "But as for you, stay strong and do not give up, for your effort will be rewarded."
•   Levis grew up a fan of all the Boston-area sports teams and considers himself a diehard Red Sox supporter. As a Patriots fan growing up, he went to training camp and got an autograph from his current head coach and Patriots Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel. 

CAREER TRANSACTIONS:
•   The Madison, Conn., native was selected by the Titans in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft.

COLLEGE:
•   Played two seasons at Kentucky after spending his first three collegiate seasons at Penn State. In four total seasons on the field, he appeared in 39 games with 26 starts, completing 479 of 738 passes for 5,876 yards with 46 passing touchdowns. Totaled 312 rushes for 742 yards with 17 rushing scores. Levis finished his career with a 17-7 record as a starter at Kentucky, tying Terry Wilson for the second-most quarterback wins since 1993. Accounted for 54 total touchdowns at Kentucky (43 passing and 11 rushing) and tallied 5,233 passing yards for the Wildcats, finishing sixth on the program's all-time list.

AS A SENIOR (2022), started 11 games at quarterback and connected on 185 of 283 passes for 2,406 yards with 19 passing scores, while ranking fourth in the SEC in pass efficiency (151.9). Finished fifth in the SEC with 19 passing scores.
•   Against Miami (Ohio) (9/3), completed 21 of 32 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns in the season opener. Became the second quarterback in UK history with 300-yard passing games in consecutive season openers.
•   At Florida (9/10), helped lead a come-from-behind 26-16 victory after completing 13 of 24 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for a score.
•   Against Youngstown State (9/17), completed 27 of 35 passes for a season-high 377 yards with two touchdowns and a rushing score.
•   Against Northern Illinois (9/24), connected on 18 of 26 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns. Became the first Kentucky quarterback with at least three passing touchdowns of 40 or more yards in the same game since 2016.
•   At Missouri (11/5), completed 13 of 19 passes for 170 yards and all three Kentucky touchdowns in the Wildcats' 21-17 come-from-behind win. Trailing 17-14 with 8:04 to go, he led Kentucky on a 58-yard game-winning touchdown drive. Completed all three passes for 51 yards on the winning march, including the 22-yard touchdown on a 3rd-and-11 play.
•   Against Louisville (11/26), completed 11 of his 19 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns in the win, becoming the third UK starting quarterback to defeat Louisville in back-to-back games.

AS A JUNIOR (2021), transferred from Penn State to Kentucky and was elected a team captain for his initial campaign with the Wildcats. Started in all 13 games and helped lead UK to 10 wins for the fourth time in school history. Totaled 3,203 yards total offense, the seventh player in school history to reach 3,000 yards of total offense in a season. Completed 233 of 353 passes for 2,826 yards and 24 passing scores. Registered 107 rushes for 376 yards and a team-high tying nine rushing touchdowns. Ranked in the top 10 in several statistical categories in the SEC, including fourth in offense touchdowns (33), fifth in pass completions (233) and sixth in total offensive yards (3,203), total passing yards (2,827), pass attempts (353) and passing touchdowns (24).
•   Registered two games (against Louisiana State and Tennessee) with three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in the same game, the only Wildcat ever to do so.
•   Against Louisiana-Monroe (9/4), completed 18 of 26 passes for 367 yards and four touchdowns in the season opener, notching career-highs for completions, yards and touchdowns, in his first career start at Kentucky. Marked the most passing yards for a Kentucky player in his first game as a Wildcat.
•   Against Louisiana State (10/9), named the FBS National Offensive Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, selected to the Davey O'Brien Award's Great 8 list and earned College Football Performance Awards National Performer of the Week honorable mention after accounting for Kentucky's first five touchdowns in the Wildcats' 42-21 win over the Tigers. Connected on 14 of 17 passes (82.4 percent) for 145 yards with three touchdowns. Rushed 11 times for a net 75 yards and two scores.
•   Against Tennessee (11/6), accounted for 419 yards total offense and five touchdowns. Completed 31 of 49 passes for a then career-high 372 yards and three touchdowns. Rushed 15 times for a net 47 yards and two scores.
•   Against New Mexico State (11/20), completed 21 of 31 passes for a career-high 419 yards and a career-high-tying four passing touchdowns.  His 79-yard pass to Wan'Dale Robinson marked the longest completion of his career and longest for UK since 2014.
•   At Louisville (11/27), received The Manning Award Quarterback of the Week, the Howard Schnellenberger Award as the Most Valuable Player of the Governor's Cup game and was named College Football Performance Awards National Performer of the Week honorable mention for the second time after completing 14 of 18 passes for 149 yards and rushing 14 times for a career-high 113 yards with a career-best four rushing scores.

AS A SOPHOMORE (2020), played in eight games with one start at quarterback for Penn State and connected on 33 of 55 passes for 421 yards with a score. Rushed 82 times for 260 yards with three touchdowns.
•   Against Iowa (11/21), earned his first starting assignment and completed 14 of 31 passes for 219 yards, including a 74-yard completion.
•   At Michigan (11/28), rushed for 25 yards on six carries with a two-yard rushing touchdown, helping the Nittany Lions win 27-17 in "The Big House."

AS A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (2019), appeared in seven games with one start at quarterback for Penn State. Completed 28 of 47 passes for 223 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Totaled 213 rushing yards on 51 carries with three scores.
•   Earned the team's High Academic Average (cumulative GPA), along with teammate Black Gillikin.

AS A FRESHMAN (2018), redshirted at Penn State.
•   Graduated in May of 2021 from Penn State's Smeal College of Business in three years with a degree in finance. Graduated with a master's degree in finance from Kentucky's Gatton School of Business and Economics in December of 2022.

PERSONAL: 
•   Was a three-year letter winner at Xavier (Middletown, Conn.) High School.
•   As a senior captain (2017), earned second-team Walter Camp All-Connecticut honors after breaking Xavier's records for passing yards (2,793), passing touchdowns (27) and completions in a season.
•   Named the Hartford Courant's Offensive Player of the Year and an All-Courant first-team selection.
•   As a junior (2016), registered 1,972 passing yards with 19 passing touchdowns and six rushing touchdowns.
•   Carried a 4.0 grade-point average during his prep career, winning the Brother Celestine Academic Award, while also being chosen as an All-SCC Tier 1 academic athlete in 2017.
•   Member of the National Honor Society and was a Ryken Scholar.
•   Also lettered in baseball at Xavier.
•   Son of Beth and Michael Levis and has three younger sisters: Kelley, Jilllian and Claire.
•   Follow Levis on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at @will_levis.
•   Born Will Donovan Levis on June 27, 1999 in Newton, Mass.