How the Will Levis Pro Day can elevate his Kentucky teammates

There is a circus coming to Lexington. It’s filled with a smorgasbord of NFL scouts, head coaches and general managers. Not to mention the media hoard that follow along, both from the SEC and NFL Network. All eyes will be on Will Levis for Friday morning’s UK Pro Day, yet he won’t be the only one performing for the circus.

Ten other former Kentucky Wildcats are expected to participate in Pro Day activities. They’ll be put to the test in combine events, like the 40-yard dash and vertical leap, as well as individual drills with NFL coaches. Each year there are scouts from all 32 teams on deck, but this year they’re bringing more decision-makers with them.

“I love all of the extra attention. We’re all gonna shine together,” said offensive lineman Tashawn Manning.

Manning, a former Auburn Tiger, spent only one year at Kentucky. He was invited to the NFL Combine and is viewed as a borderline draft pick. Manning could follow in the footsteps of another Wildcat.

In 2019 Josh Allen was the headliner for a talented group of Wildcats that drew a large crowd of NFL officials to Lexington. Offensive tackle George Asafo-Adjei was not expected to be an NFL Draft pick. After bench-pressing approximately 852 reps and showing get-off in other drills, the New York Giants were impressed enough to select Big George in the seventh round.

“That’s what this is all about,” said Will Levis. “Tomorrow is all about all of us, all of these guys that are going and trying to live out a dream and play professional ball. I think most importantly it’s really for the guys that weren’t invited to the Combine or couldn’t participate in the combine, one way or the other, because this is really their their shot to do those things and to get those numbers that they’ve been scratching and clawing for the past few months. If I can help by being a sought after player and getting more eyes on them, then I’m very happy that I can do that.”

Pro Day Exposure for Current Players Too

Will Levis was not a projected first round talent at the conclusion of the 2021 Kentucky football season. Nearby observers knew he had the tools, but the NFL scouting world did not know much about Will Levis until Wan’Dale Robinson‘s Pro Day.

Levis was tasked to throw balls to Robinson, Josh Ali and others. As the pass-catchers ran routes, scouts quickly learned they needed to pay more attention to the young quarterback.

The same effect could put Kentucky’s talented young wide receivers on the radar of NFL teams. Dane Key, Barion Brown, Tayvion Robinson and others will be a part of the 50-play script for Will Levis. Their path to the NFL Draft starts Friday morning at UK Pro Day.

The event begins at 10 am, with coverage on the SEC Network airing live at 11:30 am EST.