Could Saturday be the last time Will Levis plays for Kentucky?

Will Levis is thankful for the way he was welcomed when he transferred to Kentucky. (UK Athletics Photo)

Will Saturday be the last time Will Levis will put on a Kentucky football uniform?

He’s widely projected as a first-round NFL draft pick even though UK takes only a 6-5 record into Saturday’s game against rival Louisville.

Kentucky is already bowl eligible but this year the Cats are not going to a New Year’s Day bowl and are not going to be playing a big-name opponent even if they beat Louisville.

So would Levis risk injury playing in a so-so bowl game knowing the draft is only a few months later or opt out like star players on other teams have done in recent years?

“A win is very important to us to get to a higher-echelon bowl game that we know we’re capable of achieving,” Levis said about Saturday’s game.

So is he going to play in a bowl game?

“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s something that I haven’t even thought about. I want to get through the season, then sit down with my family and talk to coach (Mark) Stoops about all that.

“I know people are wondering about that, but I really have no idea. I haven’t paid too much mind to it.”

I believe him. He’s had to worry about all the hits and sacks he’s taken and trying to find a way to put life into a lethargic UK offense. But once the regular season ends, he might have to be selfish about his future and weigh the risks — there are a lot — versus the reward of playing in a bowl game.

He has missed one game — a loss to South Carolina — with an injury. He’s thrown for 2,218 yards and 17 scores this year while completing 66 percent of his passes. Against Louisville last year, he ran for 113 yards and four scores and passed for 149 yards in a 52-21 win.

He threw L’s down a lot in that win, something that infuriated Louisville fans, and said the team had a “motivational video” during Monday’s team meeting.

“Videos of things throughout the years of different things that have happened in this game and what it means to our team,” Levis said.

He learned quickly what the rivalry means after transferring to UK from Penn State last year and said Thanksgiving week has made him think about things he’s thankful for after that move.

“One of the first things I think about is just this community here. The people here. The coaching staff for believing in me here. The team for rallying around me, trusting in me to be their guy, their leader. The community for just welcoming me with open arms,” he said.

“It could have gone very differently when you enter that transfer portal. If it weren’t for Kentucky, who knows where I’d be or what the future would look like for me. So, I mean, it’s crazy to think how different my life was a couple of years ago compared to now, and I’m very thankful for all the people who have helped me get to where I am.”