Will Levis is Self-Motivated to Improve this Offseason

While pundits pick apart and project the productivity of Kentucky’s passing prodigy, Will Levis is doing his best to block out the noise and push forward. There may be critics at every turn, but his greatest critic is himself. That’s why his go-to study film this offseason is of his worst plays of 2021.

“It’s great watching that and going and seeing how I could have done better,” Levis said Wednesday at SEC Media Days. “What did I do in this situation? Why did I make this decision and what would I have done differently the next time it happens?”

Even though his eyes are on last season’s mistakes, there was a lot to like about Levis’ Kentucky debut. He completed 66% of his passes for 2,826 yards (8.0 yards per attempt) and 33 total touchdowns. The first-year starter exceeded Mark Stoops’ expectations.

“I’m not going to lie, when I watch him at times, I mean, it does kind of blow you away,” Stoops said in the Main Room at the College Football Hall of Fame. “You just watch him maybe on a windy day, there’s gusts coming at you, and the way he rips the football, the way he throws it, the way he works. He’s exceptional.”

Will Levis Remains Driven to Correct Footwork

Mark Stoops is not the only one saying nice things about the Kentucky quarterback. A projected first round NFL Draft pick, the offseason hype is palpable in Lexington. The Wildcats’ head coach isn’t worried about it going all to Levis’ head.

“I don’t worry about him, talking about him like that, because he’s very self-driven. He’s worried about getting better. He works his tail off every day.”

Stoops added: “Everybody can improve, right? If you look at the best players in the world, you can probably think of a few quarterbacks out there that are pretty self-motivated. They’re constantly trying to get better. Look at Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, they’re constantly working at their craft and trying to be better. Will has that mindset. If I say any one particular area, people will focus on that as a weakness. He’s a very good football player, but like all of us he can always be better and that’s what you love about him.”

Funny that Stoops mentioned the Mannings, because Will trained with them this summer. Even though Stoops was not willing to share what Levis is working on, Levis dove into the lessons he learned from the Mannings and the mechanics he’s trying to perfect for the 2022 season.

“I’m focused on marrying my lower body to my upper body and keeping my mechanics and movement more consistent to make sure it transitions onto the field and I can make throws more easily,” Levis told members of the local media in Atlanta. “More often when I missed throws last year it was because I was not subtle with my feet. I was kind of all over the place.”

Despite the offseason hype, Levis has plenty to improve. Kentucky’s head coach knows his quarterback will do what it takes to carry the Wildcats to wins in 2022.

“He’ll do whatever is necessary to put the team on his back and carry them to victory,” said Stoops. “Guys can respond to people like that. His talent kind of speaks for itself. But he has all the intangibles to be a franchise guy at the next level. I know he is with us. He’s a special player.”