Former Penn State QB Will Levis had a successful first NFL start, going 19 for 29 with 238 yards and four touchdowns in the Titans’ 28-23 win over Atlanta Sunday in Tennessee.
4 TDs for Will Levis in his NFL DEBUT. Is he elite?
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 29, 2023
He got the start in place of the injured Ryan Tannehill.
He went to Tennessee in the second round of this year’s draft.
He was expected to go in the first-round, if not the top three. But to pretty much the everybody’s surprise, Levis didn’t go until pick No. 33. Levis’s slide was probably the most intriguing storyline of this year’s draft. ESPN’s cameras constantly showed him waiting in the “green room.” Nonetheless, Levis found a home. He didn’t play much in the preseason due to injury and ended it 9-for-14 with 85 yards.
Before the NFL, he was Kentucky’s starting QB for two seasons.
In two seasons at Kentucky, he threw 43 touchdown passes, 23 interceptions and completed more than 65 percent of his passes.
Before Kentucky, Levis was at Penn State for three seasons.
Although Sean Clifford was Penn State’s starter in 2020, Levis appeared in eight of Penn State’s nine games, being used often as a runner. From 2019-20, Levis rushed for a combined 473 yards, a number that wasn’t far behind his 644 passing yards.
Many Penn State fans still question coach James Franklin’s decision to start Clifford at QB during the 2020 season while Levis backed him up.
Based on Levis’ performance Sunday, it’s probably fair to assume he’ll start Thursday night against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are 4-3, coming off a 20-10 loss to Jacksonville at Acrisure Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 on Prime. This will also be the first NFL game played in November.
