Will Levis

Last updated

Will Levis
Will Levis Titans-Steelers NOV2023.png
Levis with the Titans in 2023
No. 8 – Tennessee Titans
Position: Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1999-06-27) June 27, 1999 (age 24)
Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:229 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school: Xavier (Middletown, Connecticut)
College:
NFL draft: 2023  / Round: 2 / Pick: 33
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Passing attempts:255
Passing completions:149
Completion percentage:58.4%
TD–INT:8–4
Passing yards:1,808
Passer rating:84.2
Player stats at PFR

William Donovan Levis (LEV-is; born June 27, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State and Kentucky before being selected by the Titans in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Contents

Early years

Levis was born on June 27, 1999, in Newton, Massachusetts, and grew up in Madison, Connecticut. He attended Xavier High School in Middletown, Connecticut where he set school records as a senior for passing touchdowns with 27 and passing yards with 2,793. [1] [2] Levis committed to Penn State to play college football. [3]

College career

Penn State

Levis attended Penn State from 2018 to 2020. After redshirting his first year, he spent the next two as Sean Clifford's backup. He made his first career start against Rutgers in 2019, completing eight of 14 passes for 81 yards with one touchdown and one interception with 108 rushing yards. [4] [5] [6] Overall at Penn State, he completed 61 of 102 passes for 644 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for 473 yards and six touchdowns.

Kentucky

Levis transferred to the University of Kentucky in 2021, [7] after having graduated that May with a bachelor's degree in finance from Penn State's Smeal College of Business. [1] He was named the starter to open the season and in his first start threw for 367 yards and four touchdowns. [8] [9] [10] Levis started all 13 games for Kentucky, completing 233 of 353 passes for 2,827 yards and 24 touchdown passes while running for 376 yards and nine touchdowns on 107 rushes. Levis led the team to a victory over No. 15 Iowa in the 2022 Citrus Bowl.

College statistics

SeasonGamesPassingRushing
GPGSRecordCmpAttPctYdsAvgTDIntRtgAttYdsAvgTD
Penn State Nittany Lions
2018 Redshirted Redshirt.svg
2019 611−0284759.62234.722105.0512134.23
2020 810−1335560.04217.710130.3822603.23
Kentucky Wildcats
2021 131310−323335366.02,8268.02413148.31073763.59
2022 11117−418528365.42,4068.51910151.9721071.52
Career 382618−847973864.95,8768.04625145.63127422.417

Professional career

Levis in 2023 Levis PC CC (cropped).png
Levis in 2023
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 3+7⁄8 in
(1.93 m)		229 lb
(104 kg)		32 in
(0.81 m)		10+5⁄8 in
(0.27 m)		34.0 in
(0.86 m)		10 ft 4 in
(3.15 m)
All values from the NFL Combine [11] [12]

Despite initially being projected as a first-round pick, even being rumored to go first overall just days before the draft, [13] Levis surprisingly fell to the second day of the 2023 NFL draft, where the Tennessee Titans traded up to select Levis with the 33rd overall pick in the second round. [14] [15]

Levis began the season as the third string quarterback behind starter Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis.

In Week 8, on October 29, 2023, with Tannehill sidelined by an ankle injury, Levis made his NFL debut and first start, finishing with 238 passing yards and four touchdowns in a 28–23 win over the Atlanta Falcons. [16] [17] In Week 9, Levis made his second start against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football , throwing for 262 yards and an interception in a 20–16 loss. In Week 10, on November 7, 2023, head coach Mike Vrabel announced that Levis would be the starting quarterback for the Titans moving forward, benching Tannehill. [18] On December 11, 2023, Levis threw for 327 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception as the Titans defeated the Miami Dolphins on the road. The Titans trailed by 14 points with 2:49 remaining in the game, but Levis led back-to-back scoring drives to push the Titans ahead by a score of 28–27. This marked Levis's first career 300-yard passing game. Levis finished his rookie season with 1,808 passing yards, 8 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions.

NFL career statistics

YearTeamGamesPassingRushingSacksFumbles
GPGSRecordCmpAttPctYdsY/ALngTDIntRtgAttYdsY/ALngTDSckSckYFumLost
2023 TEN 993–614925558.41,8087.1618484.225572.31112818574
Career 993–614925558.41,8087.1618484.225572.31112818574

Personal life

Levis's father, Mike, played football at Denison University, a NCAA Division III school in Ohio, while his mom, Beth Kelley, was a two-time All-American soccer player at Yale. [19] His great-grandfather Alva Kelley was an All-American football player at Cornell University and later a head coach for three college teams. [20] Levis graduated from Penn State's Smeal College of Business with a bachelor's degree in finance. [21]

Levis gained media attention in the build-up to the 2023 draft for his strange eating and drinking habits, most notably eating unpeeled bananas and drinking coffee with mayonnaise. Levis announced on August 22, 2023, that he had signed a lifetime supply contract of Hellmann's mayonnaise. [22] [23]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Will Levis". Kentucky Wildcats Athletics. June 30, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  2. ↑ Burns, Joe (November 15, 2017). "Nothing Normal About Xavier QB Will Levis". courant.com. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  3. ↑ Bittner, Adam (July 15, 2017). "Three-star QB Will Levis commits to Penn State". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  4. ↑ "First-team reps benefitting Penn State QB Will Levis ahead of Saturday". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 28, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  5. ↑ Juliano, Joe (November 30, 2019). "Penn State overcomes lethargic start, defeats Rutgers, 27-6, and awaits bowl destination". Inquirer.com. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  6. ↑ Flounders, Bob (December 1, 2019). "Penn State's Will Levis, thrust into a starting role vs. Rutgers, now knows the painful price the Lions' QB must pay". pennlive. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  7. ↑ Donohue, Tyler (February 5, 2021). "Penn State QB transfer Will Levis heading to Kentucky". 247Sports. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  8. ↑ Scarborough, Alex (August 15, 2021). "UK names Penn State transfer Levis starting QB". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  9. ↑ Story, Mark (September 21, 2021). "After a summer of hype, Will Levis leaves Kentucky football fans wanting more". Kentucky.com. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  10. ↑ Hale, Jon (September 7, 2021). "How Will Levis' Kentucky football debut compares to best QB performances of Stoops era". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Will Levis Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Will Levis, DS #4 QB, Kentucky". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  13. ↑ Bumbaca, Chris. "Will Levis' betting odds to be NFL draft's No. 1 pick soared after Reddit post. Here's what we know". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  14. ↑ Walker, Teresa M. (April 28, 2023). "Titans trade up, end QB Will Levis' wait in NFL draft". AP NEWS. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  15. ↑ Wyatt, Jim (April 28, 2023). "Titans Move Up, Select QB Will Levis in Second Round of Friday's NFL Draft". TennesseeTitans.com. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Will Levis cannonballs into the NFL with spectacular 4-touchdown debut". Yahoo Sports. October 30, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Will Levis, DeAndre Hopkins hook up for 3 TDs to lead Titans". ESPN.com. October 29, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  18. ↑ Wyatt, Jim (November 7, 2023). "Rookie Will Levis Named as Titans Starting Quarterback". TennesseeTitans.com.
  19. ↑ Truax, Barkley (August 3, 2021). "Will Levis comes from a family of athletes". Kentucky Kernel. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  20. ↑ McGonigal, John (June 5, 2019). "'Never give up': How Penn State QB Will Levis draws inspiration from his grandfather". CentreDaily.com. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  21. ↑ Benedetto, Matt (April 28, 2023). "Former Penn State quarterback Will Levis drafted by Titans". ABC27. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  22. ↑ "MAYO MACCHIATO OR MOCHA? WILL LEVIS SIGNS LIFETIME DEAL WITH HELLMAN'S MAYONNAISE". FoxSports. August 22, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  23. ↑ Treacy, Dan (March 4, 2023). "Legend of Will Levis: Why NFL Draft prospect puts mayo in his coffee, eats bananas whole". Sporting News. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
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