Usually, sports fans are focused on Kentucky’s basketball team when the month of March rolls around. This year, they are paying attention to the school’s football program.
Why? Because Will Levis has the chance to be the earliest Wildcats quarterback selected in the NFL Draft since Tim Couch went No. 1 overall in 1999.
Levis established himself as a hot NFL prospect after transferring to Kentucky from Penn State. He led the Wildcats to two solid seasons and completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 5,232 yards, 43 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in 24 games.
Now, he will look to establish himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is competing with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson for that honor, so it won’t be an easy task.
But if Levis can perform well at his pro day, he will have a chance to continue climbing up draft boards. That could allow him to become a top-five pick in 2023.
NFL DRAFT 2023: SN’s latest first-round mock | Updated big board
Sporting News is tracking Levis’ performance from his pro day Friday. Below are the highlights from Young’s showcase at the Alabama pro day.
Will Levis pro day live updates, highlights
(All times Eastern.)
12:00 p.m. — In addition to the Panthers, the Titans and Seahawks are also well represented at Levis’ pro day in Lexington.
Among those in attendance for Kentucky QB Will Levis’ Pro Day in Lexington today …
• Panthers HC Frank Reich and GM Scott Fitterer.
• Seahawks HC Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider.
• Titans HC Mike Vrabel and GM Ran Carthon.— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 24, 2023
11:28 a.m. — According to The Athletic’s Colts beat writer Zak Keefer, there is a lighter turnout for Levis’ pro day than C.J. Stroud had at Ohio State, but still plenty on hand to watch the Kentucky quarterback. It does not come as a surprise though, since Ohio State had multiple top prospects at other positions that teams could’ve been in town to evaluate.
📍 Kentucky Pro Day
Will get a chance to watch QB Will Levis up close in a bit. Not the same crowd Ohio State saw on Wednesday, but plenty of NFL personnel on hand. pic.twitter.com/Qf0GW6addA
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) March 24, 2023
10:52 a.m. — Will Levis continues his meet and greet with the Panthers prior to throwing today. He’s been seen talking with multiple members of the organization, including head coach Frank Reich. It’s been reported that Levis is expected to begin throwing around 12:30/1 p.m. ET.
A few minutes later, Will Levis with #Panthers HC Frank Reich.
He’s expected to throw around 12:30/1p. @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/pgoCwHCOm6
— DaShawn Brown (@DaShawnWSOC9) March 24, 2023
10:22 a.m. — Measurements are in for Levis and there are no noticeable differences from how he measured at the NFL Combine in early March.
Will Levis Pro Day measurements:
6’03.7”
231 pounds
10.5” hands
32” arm length
78 3/8” wingspan— Max Chadwick (@Chad_Maxwick) March 24, 2023
9:55 a.m. — The Panthers continue to wine and dine the top prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. They reportedly had dinner with Will Levis on Thursday night ahead of his pro day on Friday.
#Panthers had dinner with Will Levis last night. He’ll have his Pro Day today. This is someone who moved up the draft board at combine after getting knocked down during his season at Kentucky. I still think his upside in the NFL is big. We’ll go to Lexington tonight on @CSLonQCN
— Christian Audi (@TheEpicAudi) March 24, 2023
Will Will Levis throw at the Kentucky pro day?
Yes, Will Levis will throw at Kentucky’s pro day. The Wildcats quarterback worked out and threw at the 2023 NFL Combine, but he is expected to make a case for himself at his pro day as well.
Levis showed off a strong arm at the combine, logging a throw of 59 mph in the ball velocity drill. That was just 1 mph slower than Anthony Richardson’s 60 mph mark.
If Levis (6-4, 229 pounds) shows well in the on-field drills, he can move closer toward being a top-10 lock. As it stands, he is the most likely of the top quarterbacks to slide, but he still could easily be a top-five pick.
MORE: Watch Will Levis at Kentucky’s pro day live on Fubo (free trial)
How to watch Kentucky’s pro day in 2023
- Date: Friday, March 24
- Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
- TV channel: SEC Network
- Live stream: Fubo
SEC will begin its broadcast of Kentucky’s pro day beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET. It isn’t exactly clear when Levis will begin his workout, but it shouldn’t be long after the broadcast begins.
For those who want to live stream the pro day, Fubo carries the SEC Network, as well as the ESPN family of networks, NBC, CBS and Fox, meaning you’ll be able to catch all sorts of NFL action leading up to, and during, the 2023 season. Fubo also offers a free trial.
Will Levis NFL Draft projection
Currently, Will Levis is expected to be a first-round draft pick. However, his draft range varies more than any of the other top quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Levis could end up being the third quarterback selected, in which case he would likely be a top-five pick. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Colts trading up to the No. 3 spot to select Levis with C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young coming off the board ahead of him.
MORE: Biggest takeaways from Bryce Young’s pro day
That said, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has Levis slipping all the way to the Buccaneers’ selection at 19 overall. So, it’s possible that Levis could fall out of the top 15 if teams like the Lions, Raiders and Titans all pass on quarterbacks.
SN’s Vinnie Iyer presently has Levis being selected No. 6 overall by the Lions. That would allow him to compete with Jared Goff for the starting job in a high-powered Detroit offense.
All these mocks tell us one thing: while Levis is likely to be a first-round pick, it’s uncertain exactly when he will be selected. He could be a top-five pick or he could slip to the back end of the top 20 — or even outside it.
SN’s Jacob Camenker also contributed to this report.