For The R3cord: Will Levis getting 'humbled and embarrassed' was good for him

Former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis fell to the second round of the NFL Draft before the Tennessee Titans scooped him up with the No. 33 overall pick.

But the lasting memory of Levis at the draft was him sitting in the green room waiting and waiting for his name to be called. It didn’t happen and Levis returned home for the second round after a lot of hype surrounding him and going within the top five of the draft.

Kentucky Sports Radio’s Matt Jones joined On3 founder Shannon Terry on For The R3cord saying this was ultimately the best outcome for the former Wildcat.

“Maybe the best thing that happened to him was getting humbled and embarrassed in front of a national television audience,” Jones said. “Because I think he came in with kind of a swagger that he had to sit there and take it while the whole country kind of bombed him. And that is a character building experience that I wouldn’t wish on anybody. But I do think it will make him a better player. So I do think that in the long term he will end up being better for it, but it had to be tough to deal with.”

Levis was pegged as a potential No. 1 overall pick prior to the 2022 season by some mock draft experts. The hype train exploded during the offseason and draft process.

In particular, ESPN’s Mel Kiper was a big fan and was almost positive Levis would go within the top five picks this year due to many quarterback needy teams.

After his transfer from Penn State, Levis entered the starting lineup under Mark Stoops and showed moxie and poise in 2021. He had numerous players around him and solid protection.

Kentucky football was more than just an afterthought now. The problem? The weight of expectations on Levis.

Levis went into 2022 and suffered injuries, had worse protection and a lack of playmakers compared to his first year in Lexington. While some chalked up his down year to those factors, other experts pointed out common problems in his gunslinger-type skillset going into the NFL.

Perhaps Levis believed his own hype, displaying confidence in his chances going high in the draft, posting muscle mass progress pictures on social media and of course, being Tik Tok famous.

Perhaps humbled and embarrassed is a little strong or its right on the nose. Either way, Levis has to work his way up the Titans depth chart behind Ryan Tannehill and last year’s pick Malik Willis, at least for now.

Levis finished his college career with 5,876 yards, 46 touchdowns, 25 interceptions and a 64.9% completion percentage.As a member of the Class of 2018, Levis was a three-star recruit out of Middletown (Conn.) Xavier, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 2 overall prospect in the state, the No. 50 quarterback in the class and the No. 684 overall prospect in the class.