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Former Penn State quarterback Will Levis hears name called on Day 2 of 2023 NFL Draft

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel04/28/23GregPickel
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(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Former Penn State passer Will Levis left the Lions after the 2020 season with hopes of finding a starting job and raising his NFL Draft profile. Following two seasons at Kentucky, his mission is accomplished. Albeit, a bit later than expected. The Madison, Conn., native is now a Tennessee Titan. They took him with the No. 33 overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Levis made a national name for himself with the Wildcats. From putting mayonnaise in his coffee to cashing name, image, and likeness checks and playing well enough to become the SEC program’s second-winningest passer since 1993 with 17 victories, Levis checked enough boxes to bring attention to his game. That, in turn, shot him up the draft boards of pro teams and media members alike. But, the hype didn’t match the outcome. Despite being viewed as a potential top five pick, he fell out of Thursday’s first round. That led to Friday’s selection.

It’s the latest chapter to close in Levis’ football book, which of course, includes a section about his time at Penn State.

A former three-star recruit in the Class of 2018, Levis took a redshirt season in year one. In 2019, he lost the battle for the starting quarterback job to Sean Clifford. But, he still played in a handful of games and earned his first career start and win late in the year against Rutgers. Levis was then the backup again in 2020 before transferring. All told at Penn State, he rushed for more yards (133) than he threw for (102).

With the Wildcats, Levis was a two-time team captain. He threw for 5,233 yards and had 54 total touchdowns (43 passing, 11 rushing). Off the field, he earned his undergraduate degree from Penn State and a Master’s degree from Kentucky.

The Sean Clifford-Will Levis debate will always be a talking point among Penn State fans

Penn State fans had, have, and will continue to discuss whether or not James Franklin made the right call to go with Clifford over Levis. Some will point to the NFL Draft outcome and say the latter should have been the clear choice. Others will point to the college production and say Clifford won more high-profile games than Levis did while setting numerous records in Lions lore over four years as a starter and six seasons in the program.

Who’s right and who’s wrong? The correct answer only comes to the mind of the opinion holder. But, there is no question that as both begin their respective NFL journeys, members of ‘Nittany Nation’ are not ready to close the book on this argument just yet.

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