Will Levis has proven himself before. Can he do it again?
Wan'Dale Robinson was still getting to know Will Levis during Kentucky's first summer scrimmage of 2021. Both were transfers - Robinson a wide receiver from Nebraska, and Levis a quarterback from Penn State.
Levis' strong arm had made an impression, but since the passer was still working with the second- and third-stringers, Robinson didn't know much else about him.
The design called for a play-action shot down the sideline to Robinson, and it required a big arm to get the football over the top. Fast-forward about 15 seconds to sheer magic: The pair connected on a 75-yard touchdown bomb, signaling the start of something special in Lexington.
"There's nothing like (his arm)," Robinson told me. "In practice, I was like: 'What in the world?' Coach (Mark) Stoops came over and said: 'That's your quarterback.'"
"We already kind of knew, but when he made that throw and hit Wan'Dale in the bucket, it was over," Liam Coen, Kentucky's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach that season, told me.
It didn't take long for Stoops to officially designate the Penn State transfer as his starter. Nor did it take long for Levis to showcase his immense talent, raw athleticism, and untapped potential.
In his first collegiate start, the Massachusetts native threw for 367 yards and four touchdowns. (His first TD was the same play to Robinson they'd practiced.) After six straight wins, Levis cemented himself as one of the top players in FBS. In 2022, his Heisman candidacy popped as he guided the Wildcats to a 4-0 start, ranked seventh in the country - their highest position since 1977.
The back half of the season didn't go as well once the Wildcats hit the heart of the SEC schedule. Some untimely turnovers and poor decisions in a couple of games dropped them to a 7-5 overall finish (3-5 in the SEC). That's contributed to Levis' status as one of the more polarizing prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Circumstances were not entirely in Levis' favor last season. Coen had left to join the Los Angeles Rams' staff (although he has returned for the 2023 season); Robinson and Kentucky's two best offensive linemen had graduated to the draft. Maybe most importantly, Levis was battling foot and shoulder injuries for most of the year, which could have led to some of the ball-placement problems that pro scouts have identified.
"Yes, there are some throws he can work on," Coen said. But he's not worried about Levis' ability at the next level.
"Remember in the movie 'Rookie of the Year' when Henry Rowengartner's arm was so sped up? Will almost felt like his arm was so explosive, he needed to slow down in order to throw a ball with touch," Coen said. "He's worked on that and learned that it's not anything about slowing your arm down, but when the ball's leaving your hand, it's just having a little touch on it. He's getting better at it."
Featuring an explosive right-handed cannon and a physique that looks more Hulk than QB - he measured a chiseled 6-foot-4 and 229 pounds at the NFL combine in March - Levis casually rocket-launched passes during his recent pro day. He also earned academic all-American honors last season.
"He has a great arm, even by NFL standards," a veteran scout told me.
"He's a physical quarterback who drives the ball with his legs. I know he's been working on his mechanics too. … They were down in a lot of games. He's playing from behind. … He'll learn how to layer the ball within the confines of an NFL game. We'd have to clean some things up. But I think he knows that too. And that's not a bad thing."
He's also faced an onslaught of personal criticisms from pundits like Colin Cowherd, who called him a "meathead" with "no self-awareness" after Levis posted shirtless photos.
"I don't think everybody really got to see the true him," said Robinson, whom the Giants drafted in the second round last year. "They didn't see the best version of him. He got smarter. Anytime he makes a mistake, he's trying to do it 10 times better. He wanted to be perfect."
Levis earned a reputation as a tireless worker within the Kentucky program, and he still has room for growth after only playing two full seasons in college.
"His practice preparation habits are truly game-like," Coen said.
"Everything he does in practice - the speed, the tempo, the communication, the level of expectations - all of that. It's consistent every single meeting, every single day. The thing you're never gonna have to do with Will is ask for more. If anything, you have to tone it down a little bit. Wouldn't you as a coach want that?"
And what about the brashness that critics perceive as arrogant?
"That's just Will," Robinson said. "Once you get to know him, you realize he's a really caring dude. Nothing that he says ever comes from a bad place. At the end of the day, he just wants to be the best. I loved playing with him. Loved having him as my quarterback."
"It's getting taken the wrong way," Coen said. "He's so wired, it's ridiculous. I mean, his arm talent is truly through the roof. There's some similar talent (to Josh Allen and Justin Herbert). He's your franchise quarterback."
Jordan Schultz is theScore's NFL insider and senior NBA reporter. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.