Will Levis: NFL Prospect Profiles | Dynasty Fantasy Football

by Jonathan Lange · Draft Strategy

NFL Prospect Profiles: Will Levis

Welcome back to the latest edition of NFL Prospect Profiles: Quarterback edition! We are now at our third quarterback after finishing up the last piece over Bryce Young. Now we get another signal caller from the SEC. This time we’re going to examine Will Levis. Levis had a phenomenal junior season at Kentucky.

However, his numbers took a dive in his final year. What can we learn? Let’s explore the production going back to high school and see if a successful NFL future is in the cards for the former Wildcat!

High School Career

Levis set school records at Xavier High School in Middletown, CT for passing touchdowns (27) and passing yards (2,793) his senior year. In his recruiting class, he was ranked No. 23 among pro-style quarterbacks. Levis ranked ahead of current NFL quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Zach Wilson. He was only a 3-star prospect coming out of high school. However, Penn State, Iowa, and the University of North Carolina showed interest in signing him. Levis ultimately signed with Penn State.

College Career

Levis redshirted his first year with the school but was stuck behind starter Sean Clifford. Clifford started over Levis in his first two seasons of eligibility following the redshirt year. As a result, Levis entered the transfer portal leaving Penn State with starting only two games.

Levis did graduate from the Smeal College of Business at Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. Afterwards, Levis transferred to the University of Kentucky where the NFL started to notice his arm talent. His junior year proved to be his first full year as a starter. Coincidentally, this was his breakout year and he led the Wildcats to a 10-win season and a victory in the Citrus Bowl. Levis returned for his senior season but endured a coaching change, injuries, and sloppy execution from his offensive line. This made for a disappointing final season.

What Scouts Love

He can operate a Pro-Style Offense

When Levis signed with Kentucky, they also acquired Liam Coen who was an assistant quarterback coach for the Rams. Coen brought the Pro-Style system from LA to Lexington precisely for Levis to operate. Coen left after the 2021 season to go back to the LA Rams. Former NFL offensive coach Rich Scangarello replaced him. Unfortunately for Levis, his play took a clear step back with Scangarello, but we will look closer at that later.

Strong Arm

Despite playing with a limited surrounding cast, Levis finished No. 22 in the NCAA in Yards per attempt. Even when the play isn’t a highlight reel or a flashy touchdown, his strength is still on display.  His quick windup and release make his deep throws appear as if they were launched with minimal effort.

At the Combine, Levis fired darts left and right instead of running for his life from SEC defenses. His stock only went up from his NFL Combine performance.

Levis is not afraid to run with the ball if there are no receivers open, and he’s got the legs for it. In fact, during his first two years at Penn State, he was used in special down and distance scenarios and left Penn State with 133 total carries and six rushing touchdowns over two seasons while he was the backup.

Per PlayerProfiler, his 105.6 Athleticism Score puts him at No. 45 among 280 Quarterbacks all time. He finished his last season at Kentucky with -107 rushing yards, but that was a reflection of three offensive linemen graduating, including both tackles.

Build

NFL teams love a big QB that can stand tall in the pocket, and Levis stands 6-3 with a BMI of 27.7. This meets those NFL standards. And, as mentioned earlier, he’s got the ability to move around evidenced by his scrambling numbers from his junior year. Additionally, Levis has the speed metrics to back it up. He will not be anchored to the pocket.

What Scouts Don’t Love

Statistical Decline

The 2021 season was his breakout season, but the stats reflected a drop in production in 2022. It was widely reported he played through foot, hand, and shoulder injuries through most of the 2022 season. It was stated earlier, but he also had a new offensive coordinator come in and bring a different approach to the offense. But the greatest hurdle he had to overcome was losing both offensive tackles, center, and starting wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.

Questionable decisions

Over the last two seasons, he’s thrown 23 interceptions, which isn’t ideal. However, if there’s a silver lining available, it is a sign of his confidence that he believes he can make any throw on the field at any time. That confidence is important to carry into the next level. The big question now is if he can be coached into making the right throws at the right time to cut down on those interceptions. His coaches at the next level will need to work on his timing to ensure that he can get the ball out early and quickly to avoid pressure and sacks.

Final Thoughts and player comp

The collegiate career of Will Levis is eerily comparable to Josh Allen: not a big-time recruit, played on a team with little to no NFL talent, ability to scramble, elite arm strength. I can keep going, but at the end of the day, these players have too many similarities for me to ignore. I’ll have to slap the lofty comparison of Josh Allen for Will Levis, and I’m not slapping this blindly and expecting him to finish as a top 5 fantasy QB in the NFL.

While I do appreciate Levis, and I’m hopeful for his future in the NFL, there is a chance that his career resembles the first two seasons of Josh Allens‘ where he struggled to complete consecutive passes and many questioned if he had a place in the league. Ideally, Levis can be acquired by a team with a competent coaching staff and talent around him. This will help boost him into the top 12 quarterbacks in the NFL. Otherwise, it could be an ugly, inconsistent career in the NFL.