Mark Stoops assesses progress of Will Levis in his journey back to full strength

Will Levis hasn’t been 100 percent at all this season, and having one of the worst offensive lines in college football isn’t doing him any favors. His shoulder, finger, foot. You name it, and Will Levis is being treated for it.

The ailing Levis has been on the road to recovery in some fashion all season long, and despite the disappointing season 2022 turned out to be for the Wildcats, Kentucky clenched bowl eligibility several weeks ago and haven’t been able to win ever since.

A 4-0 start has turned into a 6-5 setback season, but head coach Mark Stoops is confident in his QB1 for the final two games of his college career and praise his resiliency and toughness throughout the litany of injuries he’s been treated for.

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“I think you look at Will, it’s the healthiest he’s been in a while. He felt better,” Stoops said Monday. Just the threat – and just his comfort level of just getting off schedule, you know what I mean? And buying a little time, scrambling. He scrambled on the 99-yard drive [against Georgia], pulled it down and just took that lane right away. Maybe he was hesitant before just because he wasn’t at 100 percent.

“And just making those decisions is important and it’s a threat to a defense. And that got that drive started and we go on for 99 yards – but that’s a piece of it.”

That 99-yard drive was the longest on any Georgia team in over a decade and was the only SEC team to hold the Bulldogs to under 20 points this season. While Stoops noted Levis’ health was better than it has been, a completely healthy Levis theoretically could have done more than string together one good drive all afternoon.

Now, Levis and Kentucky has to turn their attentions to in-state rival Louisville, a team that is dealing with their own quarterback injuries, for the season finale. The game will double as Levis’ Senior Day – and the future NFL quarterback will look roll past the Cardinals and into the postseason for fourth consecutive season.