Kentucky’s quarterback competition is over, Mark Stoops has found his starter.

Penn State transfer Will Levis has won the starting job, Stoops said in a Sunday night press conference, while Joey Gatewood and Beau Allen will be co-backups. Stoops also announced that Gatewood has entered the transfer portal, and won’t practice while he considers whether to transfer. Levis is a dual threat who played in 15 games with 2 starts for the Nittany Lions. Part of the timing, Stoops said, was to give Gatewood time to transfer if he chooses.

“This was clear,” Stoops said.

It speaks to the performance of Levis that Stoops felt confident to name him the starter with nearly 3 weeks remaining until the opener.

Levis started one game last season, against Iowa, and overall played in 8 games last season for Penn State. The 6-foot-3, 222-pound Levis, who is from Madison, Connecticut, relieved Sean Clifford at Nebraska in the season’s fourth game and completed 14 of 31 passes for 219 yards in a 30-23 loss. He started the next week against Iowa, but was lifted in favor of Clifford in the third quarter after he lost two fumbles, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Levis has running ability, and that’s largely how he was used down the stretch, with 47 carries and eight passes. For the season last year, he rushed for 260 yards and three touchdowns, and completed 60 percent of his passes for 421 yards and one TD.

Levis will have three years of eligibility. He is a graduate student after he finished his degree in finance.

Kentucky hosts Louisiana-Monroe to open the 2021 season on Saturday, Sept. 4.