Mark Stoops believes Will Levis is someone "to build a franchise around"

Kentucky QB Will Levis is all but certain to hear his name called in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, which is set to begin on April 27. The only question is how high or low in the order will he land?

Some mock projections have him as high as a top-three pick while others see him slipping into the teens and beyond. Regardless of where he goes, an NFL team is taking Levis with the intention of giving him control of the franchise in the immediate or near future.

And that’s exactly what his now-former head coach expects to happen.

During a recent interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Kentucky football head coach Mark Stoops spoke highly of his QB, calling him the type of player that an NFL team should build a franchise around. Stoops pointed to Levis’ leadership, work ethic, and, in particular, his first season at UK under offensive coordinator Liam Coen as reasons why he’ll be successful at the next level.

“I have great respect for all the quarterbacks that are up there and all the players that are up there, and Will is one of them. He’s one of them,” Stoops said. “He has all the intangibles you’re looking for to build a franchise around. He has the leadership capabilities. He has an unbelievable work ethic about him. Anything that is a weakness for him right now, he will eventually turn into a strength because that’s just how he attacks each and every day.”

"He has all the intangibles you are looking for to build a franchise around."@UKFootball Head Coach Mark Stoops on why he believes QB @Will_Levis will be successful in the NFL.#NFLDraft | #2023NFLDraft | @UKCoachStoops pic.twitter.com/v8uNisUphb

— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) April 5, 2023

After two seasons as a backup at Penn State, Levis transferred to Kentucky where he immediately took control of the starting job and led the Wildcats to 10 wins and a Citrus Bowl victory. But in year two, thanks to a new offensive coordinator, a string of injuries to his body, and a depleted offensive line around him, Levis struggled to produce the same results.

“Ability-wise, I mean he came into that first year, hadn’t played much football,” Stoops added. “You saw with the right system, we had some good players around him, we had three offensive linemen on that team. In his first year here, he really lit it up. Played exceptionally well and led us to 10 (wins), which we hadn’t done a whole heck of a lot of around here. Was just a fantastic addition. And this past year, it is what it is. I know everybody is gonna analyze that and look at things. Listen, he doesn’t need me to make excuses for himself and he doesn’t need to make excuses.”

That being said, Stoops believes that Levis will thrive in a system that is tailored to suit him, much like Kentucky was in 2021.

“I’m still quite confident in Will’s ability and the way he can lead, the way he can play,” Stoops said. “Somebody is gonna be extremely pleased to have him on their roster, I can promise you that.“