Inside Titans QB Will Levis’ ‘breakthrough’ that could lead to a breakout

Rob Williams has trained Will Levis for years, but the bulk of their work has been virtual. It's actually more intensive than it sounds.

The Tennessee Titans quarterback, wearing earplugs, will perform drills while receiving constant feedback from Williams, who's FaceTiming on a phone positioned on a tripod, which can be positioned at any angle — focused on Levis' chest, back or target view. The setup provides an intimate communication loop.

This offseason, though, Williams and Levis were able to work in-person for the first time. Williams was in Nashville in May to host an event through his QBMotion program.

Their time on the field resulted in what Williams calls a "breakthrough." The Titans quarterback has been more of an arm thrower, the trainer explained, but he's learned this offseason to generate more power using his hips, legs and core, allowing his arm to relax. It creates a more efficient throwing process.

"I kind of look at it like putting a new engine in the car and now we've got it running great. And now let's go work on the driving," Williams told FOX Sports. "No matter what we work on, we have a new engine. We have a new power source."

Levis' growth comes as he enters a pivotal second NFL season, with the franchise hoping he develops into its long-term starting quarterback. The Titans have made significant investments in his supporting cast to get a clear picture regarding their 2023 second-round pick, who started nine games as a rookie.

Tennessee signed wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd , drafted Alabama 's JC Latham with the No. 7 overall pick to be Levis' blindside protector and gave Lloyd Cushenberry a historic contract for a center. The team also inked former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard to form a 1-2 punch out of the backfield with second-year pro Tyjae Spears .

"I love it," Levis said in May of the investment in the offense. "For one, it means they're not afraid to make those investments and they want to go win, which is awesome to see. We know that we had the guys to make it work, but adding more guys certainly doesn't hurt, and it creates more competition and more options."

After consultation with the Titans' new offensive staff, Levis made a subtle tweak to his lower body mechanics , the hope being that he'll be able to better play on time within the progressions of the passing game. The emphasis was on the footwork leading into the base at the top of his drop, so he can generate more power for an already strong arm.

Williams, a practicing kinesiologist, focuses on the minutiae of Levis' movement efficiency. He didn't work with the quarterback as much this offseason because new Titans coach Brian Callahan's playbook and developing rapport with his new pass-catchers took priority. But in their limited time together this spring, the emphasis remained the same as in prior years: teaching Levis to initiate throws primarily from his hips (as opposed to his arm) and to optimize the width of his base.

Getting too wide, Williams said, compromises mobility for the quarterback.

"From day one, he was very much an arm thrower," Williams said of Levis. "He's a big, strong guy. Accurate and talented. But most of the work of throwing the football was done with his arm. And the reversal to using his body and just letting his arm get looser and looser and looser.

"When we got a chance to be on the field together, there were some different ways that I communicated that or helped him feel it in person. And so that, to me, was the breakthrough approach of, ‘OK, here we go.'"

Williams has worked with Levis since he was at Penn State , in the process of transferring to Kentucky .

The quarterback's attention to detail has always stood out to him.

"He's just a straightforward guy," Williams said. "He'll be, ‘I couldn't feel it on that one' or ‘That one just didn't feel like it spun the same as the previous rep.' Or it'll be the other way around, where it's like, ‘Geez, that one felt great. I felt that one snap off my finger. I could feel the weight through my heel.' So those details and that kind of disciplined but straightforward feedback is something that I'm not sure comes across [to the public], but it's pretty remarkable when you get a chance to work with somebody like that."

The new Titans coaches saw that approach during the offseason program.

"For him, the most important part is keeping that urgency and tempo and how he plays," Callahan said in June. "Keep playing faster. Keep playing with more confidence. And that comes with more reps. I really was happy with how he progressed with learning a brand-new way of playing football. There's going to be plenty more reps in training camp and the preseason. The key is to be ready to roll in September playing at the speed you have to play at the position in the NFL. He's improved every day he's come out here. It's really all I can ask for from him at this point is to keep getting better during the course of the summer and training camp, and we'll be ready to roll.

"I feel really good about where he's at."

The Titans hope a breakthrough is coming for Levis in Year 2.

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur .

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