4/27/2023 football Edit

First-Round Shocker: Kentucky QB Will Levis goes undrafted

Kentucky quarterback Will Levis dropped back to pass during action from the Wildcats' 2022 season. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)

Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated

Managing Editor

Joined the Cats Illustrated staff in the summer of 2017. Veteran reporter and photographer who has covered UK sports dating back to 1987.

It was a drastically different night than Will Levis had envisioned when he arrived in Kansas City for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Projected by almost every analyst and mock draft to be among the first players to hear his named called, Kentucky's senior quarterback went unselected Thursday night in the first round.

Three other quarterbacks were taken in the opening round. Alabama's Bryce Young was the No. 1 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers, followed by Ohio State's C.J. Stroud at No. 2 to the Houston Texans.

The first surprised occurred at No. 4 when the Indianapolis Colts -- the franchise for which many analysts had Levis slotted -- passed on the UK quarterback in favor of Florida's raw but gifted Anthony Richardson.

That left Tennessee as the lone potential destination early in the first round, but the Titans opted for highly regarded Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski in an effort to rebuild their line.

From there, it was a grueling wait for Levis and his family in the proverbial green room, reminiscent of Aaron Rodgers' slide to the Green Bay Packers at No. 24 in the 2005 NFL Draft after being considered a potential No. 1 pick.

Levis should remain one of the top prospects available when the draft resumes on Friday with the second round. Questions, however, are re-emerging about his health. A number of injuries nagged him during the 2022 season.

The 6-foot-4, 229-pound Levis is seeking to become UK's highest-drafted traditional quarterback since Andre Woodson was a sixth-round pick by the New York Giants in 2008. Randall Cobb and Lynn Bowden Jr., who were part-time quarterbacks for the Cats, were drafted in 2011 and 2020, respectively.

The last UK quarterback to be drafted in the first round was Tim Couch, who as the No. 1 overall pick of the newly reformed Cleveland Browns in 1999.

After spending his first two years at Penn State, Levis completed 418 of his 636 passes (65.7%) for 5,232 yards and 43 touchdowns in two seasons with Kentucky. The Madison, Conn., native also rushed for 11 touchdowns as a Wildcat.