Back in his groove
Strong-armed QB Levis ready to take starting role
Penn State quarterback Will Levis can throw a football 76 yards with an arm that reminds him daily of his mission.
Upon enrolling at Penn State last year, Levis got a tattoo on his right bicep of a bible verse. It says, “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” The verse reminded Levis of his grandfather, whose advice the quarterback constantly follows.
Levis loves the tattoo (“Gives me a little more arm strength,” he said), as does his grandfather. His mother, though, did not.
“When I told my mom I was getting it on my right arm, she said, ‘What are you doing? You’re not going to be able to throw for weeks,’” Levis said.
The arm was fine, Levis threw soon after and now he’s ready for more. Following Tommy Stevens’ transfer to Mississippi State, Levis went from the third-string backup to starting contender in a day.
No wonder Levis said recently, “I’m back in my groove.”
“Now that it’s become a little more of a possible reality for me, it hasn’t affected the way I approach things,” Levis said. “But it’s become a lot more exciting.”
Levis, a 6-3, 230-pound quarterback from Connecticut, arrived at Penn State confident in his game but aware of his place. He spent 2018 as the primary scout-team quarterback, behind Trace McSorley, Stevens and Sean Clifford, impressing the defense with his huge arm.
After one practice, on a whim, Levis threw a ball as far as he could. It flew 76 yards. He said getting to 80 “would be pretty cool.”
But Levis is out to prove he’s more than a strong arm. He labored through offseason conditioning, particularly the 5 a.m. heavy squats and deadlifts, to develop a stronger lower body and sturdier base.
Every Friday last season, the freshmen lifted together. The sessions wer
en’t fun, Levis said, but the results were tangible. He flexed his right bicep as proof.
“My body fat has gone down, and I’m really healthy overall,” he said. “… In the moment it sucked, but in hindsight it was amazing. A lot of guys said the same thing. You’re literally looking in the mirror at the end of the season going, ‘Whoa.’”
This past spring, Levis turned those workouts loose on the practice field. He ran passing drills that focused almost exclusively on his lower body to develop a better throwing base and foot movement. Offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne called those sessions vital to Levis’ development.
“He has good accuracy and arm strength, and the ball comes out pretty fast,” Rahne said. “When he gets into issues, it’s more about his feet than anything else. It’s making sure his body is balanced, which we’re working on all the time.”
Further, like Clifford, Levis doesn’t lack confidence. As the scout-team quarterback, Levis was asked to make throws that mimicked opposing quarterbacks and offenses. Occasionally he’d turn to head coach James Franklin and say, “Based on the coverage you’re playing, I wouldn’t throw it there.”
In Clifford and Levis, Penn State has two self-assured quarterbacks intent on becoming the starter. Franklin said that he expects preseason camp to be interesting. Levis plans to make it interesting.
“I’ve tried to keep that same approach since I got here,” he said. “The only thing that’s changed is the reality of [the situation]. My actual approach hasn’t changed much at all.”
“He has good accuracy and arm strength, and the ball comes out pretty fast.” — Ricky Rahne, Offensive coordinator on Will Levis