Mark Stoops: Will Levis "believes he can be the No. 1 QB picked" in NFL Draft

As you’ve seen throughout the week here on KentuckySportsRadio.com, Will Levis‘ NFL Draft stock is soaring. The Kentucky quarterback is in the top ten — and even top five — of several major 2023 mock drafts. This morning on Kentucky Sports Radio the radio show, Mark Stoops raved about Levis, whom he believes is the cornerstone of what could be a special 2022 season.

“When you have a quarterback like Will Levis, it makes it a lot of fun. He’s a fantastic player and the talent is certainly there and the leadership that he shows and the development under [Offensive coordinator] Rich [Scangarello]. I think we’re really excited about that. It gives us a great starting point.”

Levis’ Pro Day performance “definitely caught a lot of people’s eyes”

In his first season with Kentucky after transferring from Penn State, Levis threw for 2,826 yards and 24 touchdowns, while rushing for nine more. He completed 66.0% of his passes to finish with an overall passer rating of 148.3. In December, Levis announced he was returning to Kentucky for a senior season. At the time, there wasn’t much NFL Draft buzz around him, but now, less than six months later, he’s a projected top ten pick. What happened? In addition to NFL scouts seeing Levis on Wan’Dale Robinson and opponents’ defensive draft prospects film, Stoops said Levis turned heads while throwing to Robinson on Kentucky’s Pro Day last month.

“I did hear that as well, that several scouts that have been in contact with us definitely watched him throughout the year and he did pop off the film to them that they were prepping for some seniors and different guys in the SEC. That’s part of it. I think the fact that we really promoted Will or encouraged them to take a good look at him. We had him throw during Pro Day live in front of a lot of people and that definitely caught a lot of people’s eyes.”

Mock drafts are fun fodder for the offseason, and yesterday, Levis made it clear he’s not letting the hype go to his head…but, there is something pretty cool about seeing your name in the top ten of lists like this.

“I’m glad to see that come into fruition as well, at least him getting that preseason hype because he deserves it,” Stoops said. “It’s nice to see all that — even though we know those things can change — but all the preseason hype that he’s getting as far as being a top 10 [pick].”

Only six Kentucky quarterbacks have heard their names called in the NFL Draft: George Blanda in 1949, Babe Parilli in 1952, Rick Norton in 1966, Bill Ransdell in 1987, Tim Couch in 1999, and Andre Woodson in 2008. (Jared Lorenzen went undrafted in 2004.) Of that group, only Parilli and Couch went in the first round. Even if Levis doesn’t live up to the current hype, he will be a part of Kentucky Football history.

“It’ll drive him to see any quarterback in front of him”

Some players might coast into the season knowing they’re a projected top ten pick. Not Levis. Stoops expects his starting quarterback to use the fact that other quarterbacks like Bryce Young and CJ Stroud are projected ahead of him as fuel for the 2022 season.

“I know this: I know Will. I know how motivated he is and it’ll drive him to see any quarterback in front of him because I believe he believes he can be the No. 1 quarterback picked and that he has that kind of ability and I think he’s gonna have that kind of year.”

Vince Marrow agrees, going as far as to say he believes Levis can be the No. 1 overall pick.

“(His potential) is through the roof,” Marrow told KSR on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk. “I was told by a couple of NFL guys that if Will had come out this year — and now I see why — he probably would have been an early second-round guy and one of the first quarterbacks picked. I think Will’s talent was really developed with Liam (Coen) and now with Rich (Scangarello). So, I think Will has the potential to be No. 1.”

Draft talk aside, it’s clear that spirits around the football facility are high. Levis is a huge part of that.

“I love this team,” Stoops said. “And anytime, again, you have a quarterback like that, they make people around them better. And you know, he’s a great leader. He’s competitive. It’s not just about him. It’s about the team and those kinds of guys make a difference.”