There’s not a bigger stan for Kentucky quarterback Will Levis than myself. I will defend our banana peel-eating, mayo coffee-drinking quarterback until I’m blue in the face. While others believe the first-round NFL draft hype is only smoke and mirrors, I want to refuse to believe the naysayers.
I took a closer look at Levis’s stats in his SEC games this season, and after doing so, the smoke and mirrors may not be all a facade. Levis’s numbers aren’t the eye-popping numbers of a Bryce Young or a Hendon Hooker. Let’s delve into the senior QB’s SEC statistics.
SEC Overall Rankings
Levis’s complete 2022 season stats are as follows. The Wildcat QB has 2,012 yds. passing with 16 TDs and 9 Int. Levis missed one game with an injury when the Cats played South Carolina earlier this season, so his numbers are expected to be slightly different than the QBs who haven’t missed a game.
Even with the missed game, Levis doesn’t meet the eye test statistically for someone who is mentioned as a generational talent by some scouts. Levis ranks 7th in passing yards, 6th in passing percentage, tied for 1st in Ints with Spencer Rattler, and 3rd overall in QBR in the SEC.
One reason for the up-and-down season for the offense has been the putrid offensive line play. Levis has been sacked 34 times this season, which is second overall behind Jaden McDaniels of LSU, who has been sacked 38 times.
The only difference between McDaniels and Levis is McDaniels is gearing up for a potential playoff run while Levis is eyeing a potential bid for the Music City Bowl. How did it come to this?
Will Levis went 2-10 for 18 yards in the second half against one of the worst passing defenses in Power-5 football. Just an absolute disaster on every level for UK today but it's embarrassing how terrible this offense is under Rich Scangarello.
— Derek Terry (@DerekSTerry) November 12, 2022
Jekyll & Hyde SEC Performances
The one word that describes Levis’s SEC portion of the season is the same word that can describe his entire season’s performance, inconsistency. In his six SEC performances this season, Levis has thrown for 1,029 yds. 7 TDs and 6 Ints.
The touchdown numbers are meager for a guy looking to prove he can hang with the big dogs of the conference. Levis had an absolute stinker of a game against Tennessee, tossing three interceptions without finding the endzone.
At the time, the performance was given a pass with the success of the Volunteers’ program, and now, it’s been eye-opening after Levis failed to find the endzone against Vanderbilt. Levis barely reached the century mark against a Vanderbilt defense that ranks dead last in pass defense.
https://twitter.com/FTBeard7/status/1591505108512407552
Sometimes a player can have all the so-called intangibles to have scouts gushing at the potential of their talent. Also, sometimes, it just takes two eyes to see what is right in front of you. The dream season for Levis hasn’t been anything we had hoped for. Now with the number one team in the country coming to town, things aren’t looking up for this team’s 2022 hopes.