Connect with us

Football

Will Levis’ Offseason Journey to the NFL Draft

Published

2 years ago

on

Transferring to Kentucky from Penn State, Will Levis was a relatively unheard-of name. Now later this week, Levis has the opportunity to become just the third Kentucky quarterback to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft in program history.

It hasn’t come easy nor without controversy, let’s take a look at Levis’ preparation as his dream nears its reality.

NFL Combine

Will Levis’ first showcase took place in the NFL Combine, and all eyes were on him. Everyone in Lucas Oil Stadium stopped what they were doing to see how Levis would perform. It’s safe to say that everyone was impressed with him.

Advertisement

Will Levis was able to show off his “cannon” during the throwing drills he partook in. Levis’ top throwing speed reached a blistering speed of 59 mph, which was the 3rd fastest of the combine, behind Florida’s Anthony Richardson (60 mph) and UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson (62 mph).

Levis showed off just how far he can sling the football as well. He truly thinks he can throw the ball 80 yards, and you can see why he is so confident about that. He also showed that he has not only insane power, but near-precision accuracy as well. Below is a video of some of his throws from the NFL Combine:

https://youtu.be/b9W10cuUYgQ

His size and athletic ability also stood out from his peers. Levis measured in at 6’4, 229 lbs, he has a 10 5/8-inch hand size and a 32-inch arm length, and he recorded a 34-inch vertical and a 10’4 broad jump to go along with that.

UK Pro Day

Scouts, coaches, and GMs from all 32 NFL teams were in Lexington to see Will Levis up close. Just like during his NFL Combine performance, everyone made sure to see how Levis would do.

Advertisement

Once again, his ability to sling the football for miles with deadly precision amazed everyone watching. It was more of the same for Levis. His size, athleticism, and throwing ability proved why he will go high in the NFL Draft. Watch Will Levis at UK Pro Day below:

NFL Draft Projection

Where does Will Levis go in the NFL Draft following his showings at the NFL Combine and UK Pro Day? Well, here are what some of the top NFL analysts think:

Jordan Reid: Las Vegas Raiders (No. 7 overall)

Mike Tannebaum: Indianapolis Colts (No. 4 overall)

Advertisement

Mel Kiper Jr.: Indianapolis Colts (No. 4 overall)

Todd McShay: Tampa Bay Buccaneers via Trade (No. 14 overall)

Daniel Jeremiah: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 19 overall)

The vast majority of projections have Levis going in the top 10, while some have him as high as a top three pick and as low as a fringe first-rounder.

Advertisement

Physical Transformation

Since the end of the college football season, Will Levis has been putting in extra work in order to prepare himself for the NFL. Physically, Levis has become stronger and you can certainly tell.

Take a look at his transformation below:

Advertisement
Related Topics:
Advertisement

Football

Kentucky Athletic Collectives Rank 11th of 16 Teams in SEC, Bring in over $11 Million

Published

2 weeks ago

on

December 10, 2024

By

Kentucky ranks 11th of 16 SEC teams in collective fundraising.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

For better or for worse of college sports, NIL is here to stay and it certainly gives an advantage to schools with more money. Just looking at the SEC alone, collectives raised more than $200 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Unfortunately, Kentucky is ranked in the lower half of that.

According to documents from the House v. NCAA proposed settlement, Kentucky raised $11,254,204 from athletics collectives for the 2023-24 fiscal year. That ranks 11th of the 15 public universities in the SEC and is just more than half of the top collective, Texas who raised over $22 million.

Full Rankings

Rank
School NameCollective Funding
1Texas22,272,474
2LSU20,137,141
3Georgia18,326,566
4Texas A&M17,228,714
5Alabama15,995,406
6Florida15,802,237
7Oklahoma14,817,595
8Tennessee11,602,164
9Auburn11,588,953
10Arkansas11,544,039
11Kentucky11,254,204
12S. Carolina9,554,700
13Ole Miss8,872,378
14Missouri7,146,859
15Mississippi St.6,467,166
NRVanderbiltNot Available (Private School)

While collective funding is low, Kentucky has been a top 20 athletic program in total revenue, partly thanks to being a school that profits from its basketball program. Looking ahead to 2025, Kentucky is expected to stay in the top 20 nationally in athletic revenue, fifth in the SEC by bringing in an estimated 131,139,792. Ahead of programs like Georgia, LSU, Florida, and Tennessee.

Advertisement

With revenue sharing coming in the near future, even more money is going to be involved in roster and program building. Schools in the Big Ten and SEC have an even bigger advantage due to their new TV deals, giving them up to an extra $70 million or more.

A new era of college sports is here. It’s time to prepare and embrace it.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Football

Kentucky Wide Receiver Calls for “A Lot” More Leadership and Accountability from Staff

Published

3 weeks ago

on

December 2, 2024

By

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops walks onto the field before the game against the Louisville Cardinals.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

A poor offensive line. Inconsistent quarterback play. A lot of things led to Kentucky football’s abysmal 2024 season. However, they had the talent to finish better than 4-8, only defeating one power opponent this season. So what could have helped?

Kentucky wide receiver Ja’Mori Maclin was asked that question after the Wildcats’ loss to Louisville on Saturday. To his credit, he answered honestly and professionally.

“A lot more leadership,” Maclin said. “Holding guys accountable for things. A lot more discipline for all the guys… All around, players and coaches. We’re still a team, I don’t want to point at any one person or specific group. All around we need better leadership.”

Advertisement

Maclin is a junior and could return for another season. Despite talking about Kentucky taking the next step, he has not made his decision and will be returning home to talk to his family to do so. If Maclin does return, it sounds like Kentucky will have a leader in the receiving room.

Despite being a 1,000-yard receiver at North Texas, Maclin was not targeted often. However, on his 13 receptions, he caught four for touchdowns, the most of any receiver on the team.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Football

Kentucky Player Seen At Concession Stand During Kentucky’s 41-14 Loss to Louisville

Published

3 weeks ago

on

December 2, 2024

By

A Kentucky football player was seen at buying food from the concession stand in Kentucky's 41-14 loss to Louisville.

Kentucky’s on-field product against Louisville was poor to say the least, sending 99% of Wildcat fans home early. It even sent an injured player from the sideline to get a snack…

Yes, offensive lineman Gerald Mincey, one of Kentucky’s most expensive transfer portal additions, was seen at one of the concession stands at Kroger Field during Kentucky’s 41-14 defeat.

Watching a 4-8 team is bad, but even worse to do on an empty stomach.

Advertisement

Mincey is a senior and will not be returning next season, but it is nice to see him reinvesting some money back into the program.

Continue Reading

Trending