Ladies and gentlemen, Will Levis!
The Skinny
Hometown/High School: Middletown, CT (Xavier)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 222 pounds
Rankings: Three-star on 247Sports, Rivals, Scout, and ESPN
Notable Offers: Florida State, Iowa, North Carolina, Ole Miss, and Syracuse
Highlights
The Tale
Penn State believed they were locked-and-loaded with a quarterback in the 2018 class, but once Justin Fields split, the Nittany Lions re-entered the market. After sniffing around on Quincy Patterson and Jace Ruder, the staff turned their attention to Will Levis. The Connecticut QB made his way down to State College, and after a strong camp performance, James Franklin and Co. offered Levis a scholarship which he was quick to pounce on.
Outlook
Following Field’s departure, the Nittany Lions were patient in finding a quarterback. While they took a look at a host of options, they seemed ready to go into the fall without a quarterback, with the idea they’d be able to flip a kid sometime during the season. That all changed after Levis’ camp performance, as Penn State decided to wrap up (hopefully for the last time) quarterback recruiting in 2018.
I touched on Levis’ potential fit concerns in the offense last week, but as was the case then, I think Franklin and Moorhead know what they like in a quarterback. I imagine Levis (again) put up really impressive testing numbers, and he (again) showed off a talented arm. Coming from New England, Levis was going to be behind the eight-ball on the recruiting scene, but for a kid to land an offer essentially everywhere he camped, that speaks to his ability.
Levis will be joining a talented quarterback room, but honestly, a solid situation to potentially push for playing time in 2019. If Trace McSorley decides against being the No. 1 draft pick and returns for his final season, the likelihood that Tommy Stevens grad transfers increases. If that winds up being the case, the Nittany Lions would be left with redshirt junior Jake Zembiec, redshirt sophomore Sean Clifford, redshirt freshman Levis, and then whatever quarterback is brought in next season.
Granted, this foursome is taking into account four players who have spent a grand total of one season in a Penn State uniform. And that one season was a redshirt season — courtesy of Zembiec — so we’re really projecting here, but there’s absolutely a world where Levis wins the job. At the very least, he should be a legitimate challenger.