When Will Levis left Penn State, he still hadn’t secured a full-time starting role. That shifted quickly once Mark Stoops saw the upside, brought him to Kentucky, and handed him the keys right away. Levis turned that trust into a 17–7 run over two seasons and eventually became the Tennessee Titans’ starter in 2023. And now, with Kentucky moving on from Stoops, Levis has a message for the coach who helped set his career in motion.

“This man changed my life! Forever thankful,” the Titans’ quarterback shared via his Instagram story.

Levis’ thankful message dropped just hours after Kentucky fired Stoops, their long-time head coach, on Monday, December 1. And it’s easy to see why Levis felt the need to speak up. Under Stoops, he stepped in as a full-time starter from day one, throwing for 2,826 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 13 picks in year one, while adding 376 rushing yards and 9 rushing scores. He also helped Kentucky roll to a 10–3 finish capped by a Citrus Bowl win over Iowa.

In his senior year, he started 11 games and put up 2,406 yards, 19 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and 107 rushing yards, finishing 4th in the SEC in passer efficiency (151.9) and 5th in passing touchdowns. And even though he ultimately slipped to Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft, that two-year run under Stoops is what positioned him as one of the top quarterback prospects in the class.

“One thing about Stoops is that I never doubted his belief in his team and the passion that he led with,” Levis said in a statement. “When I entered the transfer portal, I had no idea what to expect. I knew I wanted to be a starting quarterback for a competitive program that would open the door for me to play at the next level. I also knew that this was asking a lot given the lack of tape that I had. I’m extremely thankful for Coach Stoops and the rest of his staff for seeing my potential as a player and for taking a chance on me by giving me an opportunity to play for the University of Kentucky.”

Stoops was the SEC’s longest-tenured head coach, and his run at Kentucky tells you why. His first three seasons ended in a rough 12–24 stretch, but he flipped the program from there, taking the Wildcats to bowl games in each of the next eight years, including two 10-win seasons, both capped with Citrus Bowl victories.

After 13 seasons in Lexington, he’s finally saying his goodbyes. The move came right after Kentucky closed a 5–7 season with a tough 41–0 loss to rival Louisville. As for Will Levis…while he ran the Titans’ offense in the NFL for a couple of years, sure. But fast forward to now, and the third-year quarterback has lost his job to rookie Cam Ward. But let’s just say even after benching Levis, the Titans are struggling to put up a strong performance.

The Titans continue to find new lows with Cam Ward under the center

When the Titans drafted Cam Ward first overall, they definitely weren’t picturing themselves becoming the first team eliminated from playoff contention in 2025. But here we are, and that’s the cold reality. They’re sitting at 1–11, Ward is still searching for anything resembling momentum, Brian Callahan has already been fired, and the team is riding a seven-game skid.

To make it worse, they’ve now matched the franchise’s longest home losing streak since moving to Tennessee. We’re talking about 11 straight losses, and Ward is yet to find his first home win. It’s been that kind of season.

“On the bright side, I mean there’s really nothing that can get worse,” the rookie quarterback said.

Which makes you wonder: What exactly went wrong for the Titans this season? Pretty much everything. The offense isn’t putting up points or yards, and the defense isn’t holding anyone back. To put it in perspective, the Titans are averaging just 15.2 points per game, which is 30th in the league, while giving up 27.5 a game, which puts them at 29th.

The yardage tells the same story. They’re dead last in total offense at 250 yards per game, and the defense is allowing 353 yards a week, ranking 26th. Add it all up, and you’ve got a season that was over long before the math made it official. Now Tennessee heads into the offseason looking for a new head coach… and maybe even a new direction at quarterback. Will it be Will Levis or Cam Ward running this offense next year? That’s the next big question.