Mike Keith wasn’t hiding any excitement Wednesday about the new face of the Tennessee Titans franchise.

Keith, the radio “Voice of the Titans,” walked up to the assembled media during a Titans Caravan stop at Double Dogs and showed the group the new background on his iPhone.

The image was this week’s Sports Illustrated cover, featuring  Tennessee’s top pick in last week’s NFL draft, former University of Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. Next to the photo of the smiling QB was the headline “Flash of the Titans.”

For a team coming off a 2-14 season, Keith said Mariota, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, is exactly the flash the franchise needed.

“The last week may have been the best week that the Tennessee Titans have had since 2008,” Keith said.

That optimism was the theme at the Bowling Green stop, one of 20 on this year’s Titans Caravan.

Keith appeared along with defensive tackle Jurrell Casey and wide receivers Harry Douglas and Justin Hunter, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans.

Hunter, entering his third year with in the NFL and with Tennessee, and Douglas, a veteran who signed this offseason as a free agent, both figure to be on the receiving end of Mariota’s passes.

“I think he’s going to be great,” Douglas said of Mariota, a No. 2 overall draft pick. “He did a lot of tremendous things in college.

“He won a lot in college and played in a lot of big games. Playing in those big games is going to help him a lot in the NFL. On Sundays, every weekend is a big game.”

Mariota comes from a successful college background and has high expectations from fans and the organization to improve a QB position where the Titans have mostly struggled since Steve McNair left following the 2005 season.

Last season Mariota led Oregon to a Pac-12 Conference championship, a Rose Bowl rout of Florida State and an appearance in the National Championship Game, where the Ducks fell to Ohio State.

He executed Oregon’s spread attack to perfection, finishing with 4,454 passing yards, 42 passing touchdowns, 770 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns on his way to the Heisman.

“He’s the kind of quarterback where you have to game plan for his legs and his arm,” Douglas said. “You just can’t game plan for one or the other.”

On the other hand, he’s coming to a Tennessee team that ranked 29th in the NFL in total offense last season (303.7 yards per game) and 22nd in passing offense (213.2 ypg).

Four quarterbacks – Zach Mettenberger, Charlie Whitehurst, Jake Locker and Jordan Palmer – saw time at QB for the Titans last season and none of them had any sustained success.

Add the lack of offensive pop to the overall lack of success of a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2008 or won a postseason game since 2003, and Mariota represents new life for the team, Keith said.

“The funny thing is in the last week, since we drafted Marcus Mariota and the rest of our draft class, the conversation’s really changed,” he said. “Last year happened and we take ownership for it.

“We know what happened and we know we’ve got work to do. But when we made the draft pick, the page flipped.”

Luckily for Mariota, he’ll have some weapons to work with.

Douglas, a former University of Louisville standout, caught 109 passes over the last two years with the Atlanta Falcons.

Hunter is a former All-Southeastern Conference wideout in college with the Tennessee Volunteers who was the team’s fourth-leading receiver last season.

“I’m pretty excited,” Hunter said. “I know he was a Heisman quarterback and I’ve never played with a Heisman quarterback before. That’ll be real interesting.”

Also at wide receiver for the Titans are Kendall Wright, Hakeem Nicks and second-round draft pick Dorial Green-Beckham.

“When I was in Atlanta, we had a lot of great receivers,” Douglas said. “It brings out a friendly competition. Whenever you have that in one room it’s going to bring out a lot in guys and the group is going to be strong.”

The combination of Mariota and a deep receiving corps figures to make Tennessee more potent in 2015.

While Mariota’s considered the future of the franchise, Keith said he expects him to lead the Titans to immediate improvement.

“I think everything about Marcus Mariota is exciting,” Keith said. “He’s a leader. He’s 6-4. He has a great release. He has a very good arm. He did an outstanding job from a mental standpoint in his meetings with us.

“…I think he will be a day one winner for the Tennessee Titans.”

– Follow Daily News sports reporter Brad Stephens on Twitter at twitter.com/stephens_brad or visit bgdailynews.com.