National media takes on Will Levis vs. Anthony Richardson

The college football world will be tuned in to ESPN tonight to see No. 20 Kentucky take on No. 12 Florida in the Swamp in large part because of the quarterbacks under center. Will Levis and Anthony Richardson are two of the best signal-callers in college football and projected first-round draft picks. Richardson especially will be in the spotlight following his three-touchdown performance in Florida’s upset of then-No. 7 Utah last week.

The press box at Ben Griffin Stadium will be full of NFL scouts eager to see Levis and Richardson square off against one another. What makes the matchup even more enticing is how similar the two are. Both are listed as the same weight, 232 lbs., with Richardson standing one inch taller at 6’4″. Levis has more experience and is a stronger passer, but both have cannons for arms and can make plays happen with their legs — as Richardson showed last week.

Previews of the matchup are all over the internet. Here’s a quick rundown of what the pundits are looking forward to seeing.

Dane Brugler, The Athletic

What scouts will want to see from Will Levis: Improved rhythm, timing and anticipation before windows come open.

Something I’ve learned from listening to Bruce Arians over the years is that timing is everything at quarterback. It is an instinctive quality, and the QBs that don’t have it? They don’t last in the NFL.

Levis has a lightning-quick release with outstanding velocity on his passes. But that won’t matter if the ball doesn’t come out on time.

Brugler then breaks down Levis’ performance vs. Miami (OH), notably the interception in the first quarter. His work is great and you should support it, so to read all of his notes, get a subscription to The Athletic. He does say that if Levis improves his timing and decision-making, he’ll go in the top half of the first round of the draft.

Jordan Reid, ESPN

In a key matchup for his draft evaluation, Levis will see an improved Florida defense on Saturday night. He threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-13 win over Miami (OH) week, and his decision-making has improved. That is crucial after he threw 13 interceptions in 2021. The arm strength, mobility and overall upside are clear, and now he has a chance to help his draft situation tremendously against a high-quality opponent in a hostile environment.

Todd McShay, ESPN

 I’ll be at Kentucky-Florida for this high-end quarterback matchup between Levis (QB3 on my board) and Anthony Richardson (QB5). As Jordan pointed out, Levis has a big opportunity on Saturday. I studied Levis’ opening-game tape and talked to his coordinator yesterday. This year’s Kentucky offense is more progression-based and features more intermediate throws. And Levis showed good field vision on most of his dropbacks and made a lot of quick, efficient reads, including off play-action, in Week 1. He was under duress on the vast majority of throws, but now starting left tackle Kenneth Horsey returns from injury — and he will be needed against a far more ferocious pass rush.

Chris Low, ESPN

The quarterback matchup in this game should be a treat. Kentucky’s Will Levis is a projected first-round NFL draft pick, and with the Wildcats again expected to be without star running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., Levis might have to carry an even heavier burden if Kentucky is going to beat Florida for the third time in the past five years. The Gators gave up 230 rushing yards to the Utes, and Levis is plenty capable of doing his own damage on the ground. The 6-foot-3, 232-pound Levis passed for 24 touchdowns and ran for nine more last season.

“When you have that franchise quarterback, it changes everything,” Stoops said.

Andy Staples, Ari Wasserman

Andy Staples will be at the game Saturday to see Levis vs. Richardson in person and is going with the Cats.