NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- It was nearly a year ago when first-time head coach Brian Callahan was handing the keys to his offense to quarterback Will Levis. Callahan had just been hired by the Tennessee Titans in large part because of how the organization thought his previous experience working with quarterbacks would help bring the best out of Levis.
Then last season happened.
Levis went 2-10 as the starter and passed for 2,091 yards to go along with 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Things didn't look much better when veteran quarterback Mason Rudolph was on the field either, resulting in a 3-14 record and Tennessee selecting first in April's draft.
Now, Levis finds himself competing for the starting quarterback job in a matchup that's heavily skewed in first overall pick Cameron Ward's favor. So far, Ward has gotten more reps during 7-on-7 drills and team periods during OTAs and in mandatory minicamp.
Still, Levis comes to work and does all of the things asked of him.
"Will has been great with how he's handled this kind of new situation," offensive coordinator Nick Holz said. "Attitude-wise, he's a good dude and a good teammate. I give him a lot of credit for that because when you draft another quarterback with the No. 1 pick, it's not an easy situation."
"I think anyone who has ever been in my situation can agree that it sucks," Levis added. "I'm trying to do everything I can to not let it affect me and just be the same dude every day in the building and being here for the guys. I'm just trying to get better every day."
Even in limited snaps, Levis has made the most out of the opportunities this offseason. Levis' best throw came on that last day of minicamp when he launched a deep pass that traveled about 35 yards before hitting wide receiver Bryce Oliver in stride for a touchdown. The fact that it came after Levis checked into a new play shows where he's at in Year 3.
"I feel great, like I made a lot of progress," Levis said on the final day of minicamp. "I wanted to come out here and do the right things every day."
That's a marked improvement from last year, which was not a good time for the young quarterback. He committed mind-boggling mistakes that led to turnovers like the pick-six against the Chicago Bears in the season opener, or when he tried to pitch the ball to running back Tyjae Spears as he was going down in the backfield against the New York Jets.
Levis looked back at last season as a learning experience. During the time off after the season ended, Levis did a lot of self-reflection.
"One thing I've learned the hard way is there's no way to play your best ball if there are other things you let affect your mental," Levis said. "The mind space I was in those 20 weeks was not me."
Callahan said he had a "very straightforward conversation" with Levis after the season and outlined some of the areas where he can improve. Levis sought out personal quarterback coach Jordan Palmer and worked with him in California.
They focused on becoming more consistent with pocket movement and footwork principles.
"It's more about his lower body than anything else," Callahan said of Levis.
Levis said the work he put in during the offseason has made a difference. He feels his accuracy, ball placement, timing and rhythm are the best they've been throughout his career. Finally playing in the same offense for consecutive seasons is also a big factor.
Dating back to 2020, when he was a redshirt sophomore at Penn State, Levis has had to learn a new scheme every season.
Despite being more familiar, mistakes still surfaced during minicamp. Levis threw the first interception of the offseason during OTAs and fumbled a snap as well. The next step for him will be at training camp in July, where he appears to be second in line for reps -- ahead of veteran free agent additions Kyle Allen and Tim Boyle.
Even in the likely event Levis is relegated to a backup role, he still plans to attack each day as if he's the starter.
"I don't plan on shifting my mindset at all, regardless of what the situation is," Levis said. "I'm just going to be ready to play quarterback whenever my name's called."