Tennessee coach Brian Callahan is eager for the regular season to start to see how much quarterback Will Levis has improved.
The good news isn’t just about how Levis throws the ball. He’s already demonstrated a strong arm that allows him to make deep throws. What stands out is his steady footwork, timing, and accuracy in practice.
“That might not look exciting to everyone watching, but it shows a smart quarterback playing efficiently, which is a big part of what we wanted to improve,” Callahan said on Wednesday.
The Titans made big moves this offseason to support Levis. They signed wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd and center Lloyd Cushenberry III. General manager Ran Carthon also drafted a new left tackle, JC Latham from Alabama, to help protect Levis.
Callahan also hired his father, Bill, to coach the offensive line after Tennessee gave up 64 sacks last season.
Levis took 28 of those in nine starts, with a 3-6 record. Boyd joined Tennessee because of what Callahan did with quarterbacks in the past, including Jake Browning in Cincinnati after Joe Burrow’s injury.
The focus now is on refining Levis’s timing and utilizing his strong arm for an offense that is friendly to quarterbacks. Boyd believes Levis will excel.
“Once you get the timing right, understand the coverage, and know where to go when the plays are called, I think he’ll be one of the top 10 quarterbacks,” Boyd said.
Levis became Tennessee’s starting quarterback on October 29 and went 3-6 in place of Ryan Tannehill. From then until the end of the season, he threw 32 passes of at least 20 yards, ranking seventh in the NFL and second only to rookie C.J. Stroud from Houston, who had 41 such passes.
