There's more to playing quarterback than a strong arm.
Will Levis can spin it. No doubt about that. Kentucky's new starting quarterback has the arm talent college coaches crave. He has been working on his mechanics, fine-tuning the touch on his intermediate and short throws, and putting in the time in front of the video screen.
But when Levis was asked Tuesday about what he needs to work on, now that he has been officially named the Wildcats' No. 1 quarterback, the Penn State transfer pointed to a facet of the job description that has little to do with out routes.
"Being a leader for this team," Levis said. "And learning how to connect with all the guys the best way possible. Everybody is going to be led effectively differently. Obviously, since I'm new here, I've spent these last few months getting to know these guys. It's going to take a lot of effort to really get their trust and show that I can lead them effectively in whatever situation we find ourselves in."
Like it or not, the quarterback is the face of the program. And QB1 should be player No. 1 when it comes to leadership. He should have command of not just the playbook, but the locker room, and in a way that translates for public consumption.
As Mark Stoops has often said, there are position battles all over the roster during a team's training camp, but the quarterback battle always draws the most interest. "It is what it is," Stoops said Sunday. "We understand that."
That's especially true when a team is making a scheme change on offense. And Kentucky is making just such a change this fall. The Cats ran the football 64.2 percent of the time last season, by far the most of any team in the SEC. (Arkansas was second at 58.2 percent.) The growth strategy is to be more balanced under new offensive coordinator Liam Coen. The run game will still be the foundation piece, but the pass game will occupy a higher spot on the call sheet.
Enter Levis with his obvious physical traits, and a presence that appears to be connecting with his new teammates.
"His personality is one of which the guys kind of naturally follow," Coen said Tuesday.
There have been social media posts of Levis playing golf with his teammates, flexing with them in the weight room, just hanging out.
"Coming in here to play football, everyone is here for business," Levis said. "It's really where you get to know someone is off the field, and who they really are as a person."
He is also answering the questions inquiring minds want to know.
"I wasn't really a person to throw my whole life out there on social media, but now it's kind of turned into a necessity," he said. "Build your brand. Get content out there and give people insight into your lifestyle, your sense of humor and your friends. I've been blessed to be able to do that this summer."
Prime example: There's a viral video of Levis eating a very, very brown banana. Banana peel and all. Post caption: "I don't fear the brown spots on bananas. They fear me. #menacetosociety."
"If anyone is asking, 'Do you eat a banana like that every time?' I do. That's how I eat bananas," said Levis on Tuesday with a straight face before adding, "No, I'm kidding."
The backstory?
"That just kind of came to me," Levis said. "I saw someone else do it on social media and people were over-reacting to it. And I thought that probably wouldn't be too bad. One day, I was at my girlfriend's place and there were some bananas they were about to throw out. I said, 'Hold on, let me get some content out there.'"
How was it?
"It tasted like banana bread," he said. "It was pretty good."
The Cats hope Levis is better than "pretty good." On the field. And off.
