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NFL Scouts Believe Will Levis Is the Best QB Prospect In NFL Draft

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UK Athletics

Helping Kentucky to a 10-win season in his first as a Wildcat in 2021, Will Levis passed for 3,028 yards and 24 touchdowns – both top 10 single-season marks in program history. In his performance, Levis displayed that he has the arm, size, toughness, intelligence, and enough athletic ability to play in the NFL, but was relatively unknown nationally.

Starting this past Spring, the hype started to grow around Levis as he started to be seen as a top quarterback prospect, even the top prospect in some cases. Pair that with the historic expectations that Kentucky football had in the preseason, and Levis set out on a mission to be the No. 1 pick.

With the Wildcats finishing the regular season with the worst offense in the SEC and an underwhelming 7-5 record, the national college football media and public opinion have dialed back on the senior quarterback. Has the NFL?

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Not according to T.J. McCreight, who has spent 30 years in the NFL as a regional and national scout, director of pro personnel, and personnel executive for four different organizations.

McCreight said that if he was in charge of an NFL team that needed a quarterback, his top choice would be Levis, and he is not alone in that thought.

With four NFL scouts that McCreight trusts, he performed an impromptu poll, and three of them agreed with his thinking that Levis is the best quarterback in the draft.

One NFC scout said, “This [season] is an audition for him to go to a poor NFL team. He proved he can take a beating and keep getting up.” Another NFC scout added, “It is a miracle that he keeps playing every week after all of the hits he takes. He is more banged up than people think — much more.”

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Looking at his competition, CJ Stroud (Ohio State) and Bryce Young (Alabama), they experience very little conflict/stress in a game given the teams that they play for. McCreight argues, with Levis playing for Kentucky, he doesn’t have as much talent around him to cover for his weaknesses.

While the national media isn’t as high on Levis as they once were, it sounds like the NFL Draft decision-makers are, as they look back at last season and the toughness he has shown this season.

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Louisville Football Player Charged With First-Degree Strangulation, Days After Committing Game Losing Personal Foul

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Louisville Cardinals defensive back Tayon Holloway (20) reacts to his defensive play.
Eric Canha | Imagn

On Monday, Louisville football defensive back Tayon Holloway was detained and charged with first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault.

This comes just days after the former four-star prospect committed a costly personal foul to put a 2-7 Stanford team in field goal range and upset Louosillve 38-35 with a walk-off field goal.

As expected, Holloway has been indefinitely suspended from the team.

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“The University of Louisville is aware of the arrest of football student-athlete Tayon Holloway,” the university said in a statement. “As we gather more information, Tayon has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities.”

Things Cardinals seem to be in a downward trend as the Commonwealth Cup nears, November 30th.

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Kentucky snaps four game losing streak defeats Murray State 48-6

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops talking to Murray State football coach Jody Wright.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

Kentucky gets a much-needed victory over Murray St 48-6 to snap its four-game losing Streak. Brock Vandagriff led the way for the Cats, going 12-19 for 183 passing yards and two touchdown passes to Hardley Gilmore IV and Ja’Mori Maclin. 48 Points is the most points Kentucky has scored in a game since 2021 when the Cats scored 51 points against Louisville.

The defense held Murray St. without a touchdown. For the second time this season, Kentucky’s defense has held an opponent without a touchdown.

Freshman Standout today:

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For the second time this season, Kentucky breaks the 40-point mark as three freshmen make impacts for Kentucky. Jamarion Wilcox had 13 carries and 124 yards with a touchdown in the 3rd quarter.

Receiver Hardley Gilmore IV had two receptions for 72 yards and caught the 52-yard touchdown pass from Brock Vandagriff on the game-opening drive.

Four-star quarterback Cutter Boley started the second half for the Cats, going 10-14 and passing for 130 yards with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, both touchdown passes to sophomore receiver Anthony Brown-Stephens.

Defense Bounces Back:

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After giving up over 475 yards of total offense each of the last three games, Kentucky’s defense holds Murray State to 256 total yards of offense while also having three takeaways from the Murray State offense

Defensive Lineman Tre’vonn Rybka led the way for the defense with five tackles and the only sack of the game for Kentucky’s defense. Jordan Lovett had two takeaways in the first half for Kentucky and one in the red zone in the second quarter. Jackson Schultz had the final takeaway, picking off Jim Ogle’s pass late in the fourth quarter.

Box Score

With the win today over Murray St., Kentucky moves to 4-6 (1-6 SEC) with two games remaining. They look to keep their bowl eligibility alive as they travel to Austin, Texas, and face the No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns at 3:30 pm on ABC. 

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Mark Stoops Responds to Retirement Rumors, “Zero Percent Chance I Do That”

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops responds to retirement rumors amidst disappointing season. "Zero percent chance I do that."
Jordan Prather | Imagn

To say there is unrest in the Kentucky Football fanbase would be an understatement. With a 3-6 record overall, and 1-6 in the SEC (15th out of 16) things look bleak, and there is still a quarter of the season to go. Considering the regression from the previous two seasons as well, it’s difficult to be optimistic about the future.

Over the last few weeks, rumors have circled that head coach Mark Stoops has considered retiring at the end of the season. Optics wise it makes sense, his older brother Bob Stoops surprisingly retired from Oklahoma at just 56, and Mark, now 57, has expressed a desire to spend more time with his children.

At his weekly press conference, Stoops was asked directly if there is any chance that he would walk away from Kentucky and retire at the season. To which he responded, bluntly:

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“Zero percent chance I do that. Next question.”

Mark Stoops is still owed more than $44 million on his contract. That’s A LOT of money to leave on the table and is the reason that the decision will be Stoops’ to make, as Kentucky cannot afford the buyout.

If Stoops holds true to his word and returns next season, NIL fundraising efforts may be the most difficult it has been for him. However, he hopes it sparks motivation to donate.

“I’ve seen it at other SEC schools,” Stoops said. “I want to stay away from that. I really get tired of — I don’t want to be like I am whining, I am crying. It is reality. You have to have dollars.”

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