Kentucky's Will Levis reportedly to start for Titans: What to know about rookie quarterback

Will Levis, drafted No. 33 by the Tennessee Titans this year, looks like he's going to become the fourth rookie quarterback to get a start of the 2023 NFL season.

The Kentucky product reportedly will share time with second-year quarterback Malik Willis on Sunday against the Falcons as Ryan Tannehill continues to work his way back from an ankle injury, per NFL.com's Ian Rapoport. Levis, however, will seemingly be the starter between himself and Willis.

Levis, known in college for his big arm, impressed with his deep ball at the NFL combine. He ultimately spent all of the first night of the draft in the NFL Draft green room before being selected with the second pick of the second round at No. 33 overall.

Levis left Kentucky as the program's sixth all-time passer with 5,232 yards. He also finished fourth in touchdowns (43), second in completion percentage among qualified quarterbacks (65.7%) and was also a key catalyst for Kentucky's 2021 Citrus Bowl-winning season in which the Wildcats were undefeated going into their game against Georgia.

REQUIRED READING: Will Levis goes No. 33 to Tennessee Titans in NFL draft: What to know about former UK QB

Tannehill was the established starter in Tennessee before he went down with an ankle injury against the Ravens. Willis went 4 for 5 in that game for 74 yards. Despite the Week 7 bye week, Tannehill did not practice again on Monday, indicating his ankle may need a bit more time to heal. Coach Mike Vrabel did throw some water on the report by saying Tannehill may still be in the mix to play, per The Athletic's Joe Rexrode. But he did not outright deny the report.

Here's what you need to know about Levis ahead of what figures to be his first NFL start:

When was Will Levis drafted?

The Titans picked Levis with the second pick of the second round (No. 33 overall). Round 1 had only 31 picks after the Dolphins forfeited theirs amid an NFL investigation into tampering.

The Titans moved up to land Levis, trading pick Nos. 41, 72, and a 2024 third-rounder to the Cardinals for Nos. 33 and 81. Levis was hailed as a first-round and even top-10 pick going into the draft, often being compared to the likes of Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud.

Levis spent the first round of the draft in the NFL Draft green room a la Aaron Rodgers, but hardly had to wait to get drafted in Round 2.

Will Levis college stats

Levis had an impressive college career that started at Penn State as a three-star prospect but didn't truly begin until he transferred to Lexington.

The five-year QB's best season came in 2021, when he completed 233 of 353 passes (66 percent) for 2,827 yards and 24 touchdowns. He did, however, throw 13 interceptions. Kentucky went 10-3 with a Citrus Bowl win over Iowa in which he went 17-for-28 for 233 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

Stats from NCAA.com

Passing

Rushing

Why did Will Levis fall in the draft?

Heading into the draft, much was made about Levis' perceived attitude. There was reporting that he had an edge to him that rubbed scouts the wrong way. One particularly scathing report claimed Levis was perceived as arrogant and entitled by an NFL executive.

In reality, however, the indication is Levis was just never thought to have the ceiling of Young, Stroud, or No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson (Richardson is out for the rest of this season after surgery to repair his shoulder). Big Noon Saturday's Joel Klatt, for example, just thinks Levis got dealt a bad hand by the NFL hype machine.

“Listen, I wish Will Levis all the success in the world and I felt sick to my stomach for him and his family in the entire scene,” Klatt said after the draft, per On3 Sports. “Will was a victim of the draft machine. If you were in college football like we are and if you’re a fan of this show, I say 'we' because we are a part of college football. If you’ve been a part of college football and really taking in over the last few years, you were surprised with this quote unquote draft evaluation and like I was like, I said love the kid.

“High upside great arm great kid good leader good with his teammates all of those things are tremendous assets. The problem is he was my number 33rd ranked prospect.”

Albert Breer had a similar read post-draft.

Kentucky's Mark Stoops voiced his excitement for Levis during the SEC coaches conference call Wednesday.

"I just have a lot of faith and confidence in Will," Stoops said. "Great appreciation for what he did for us. What a great person and leader he was first and foremost. Just wishing the best, there's a bunch of people here in Lexington that care about him and are rooting for him. So if that's the case, I'm sure he'll do a great job."

Regardless of the reason for the fall, the Titans need to add a little pepper to their offense. Willis struggled mightily in his limited reps in 2022, completing just 31 of 61 passes for 276 yards and three interceptions. While a solid running game assuaged those numbers, Levis may bring some verticality to the offense.

Will Levis preseason stats

Levis got solid reps in the first game of the preseason. He completed 9 of 14 passes against the Bears for 85 yards and an interception. However, he missed the next two games with a thigh injury.

The Titans don't seem to be fully committing to Levis for the time being. If they're doing a QB timeshare, it's likely coach Vrabel and his staff are biding their time for Tannehill to return. If Levis plays exceptionally well against Atlanta, however, his snap share is only likely to grow moving forward.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Will Levis reportedly starting for Titans: What to know about QB