Will Levis grateful for his time at UK but will not play in bowl game

Will Levis led UK to 17 wins in two seasons. (UK Athletics Photo)

Will Levis says he will always be “indebted” to all those he has crossed paths with during his two seasons at Kentucky but he is not going to play in the Music City Bowl.

“As a Wildcat, I have met lifelong friends, learned from incredible coaches, and built connections with valuable mentors that will guide me through my journey. Because of Kentucky, I found belief and confidence in myself that had not been reached beforehand, and, most importantly, we won some incredibly memorable ball games in my college career. It has been a great move forward,” Levis said in a statement on Twitter announcing he had played his last game at UK.

Levis had already declared for the NFL draft. He is ranked as the No. 3 quarterback in the CBS Sports 2023 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings behind Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. Young, Stroud and Levis are all top-five overall prospects in the rankings.

Levis transferred to UK from Penn State for the 2021 season and led UK to 17 wins in two seasons.

He threw for 2,826 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2021 and ran 376 yards and nine touchdowns. Kentucky beat Iowa in the Citrus Bowl for its second 10-win season in four years.

This season  Levis threw for 2,406 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in UK’s 7-5 season. He completed 65 percent of his passes. However, he was hurt most of the season and even missed one game. He was not nearly as mobile as he was last year because of a foot injury and also injured his left shoulder.

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops had indicated earlier that if Levis did not play in the bowl game, he would still appreciate all he has done at Kentucky and said he was “desperately needed” when he arrived on campus.

Levis was a two-year captain and clear team leader on and off the field.

“With most decisions in my life, I often think of this motivational quote: ‘Every great move forward in your life begins with a leap of faith, a step into the unknown.’ Levis posted on Twitter.