Kentucky Football: Wildcats land top QB transfer Devin Leary

For the past two seasons, Kentucky football’s starting quarterback has been a player who did not originally begin his collegiate career in Lexington, but rather transferred into the Wildcats program from another school (Will Levis from Penn State).

Well, it now appears that the same could potentially be said for the 2023 season as well, as the Wildcats have landed one of the nation’s top transfer quarterbacks according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Devin Leary.

Kentucky Football lands top transfer QB Devin Leary

One of the top quarterbacks available in the NCAA Transfer Portal, Leary joins the Wildcats after four memorable seasons at NC State, a span in which he completed 60.2% of his passes for 6,807 yards and a 62:16 TD:INT ratio. Leary however only appeared in six games as NC State’s starter this past season due to injury, but would still complete 61.1% of his passes for 1,265 yards and an 11:4 TD:INT ratio, while also rushing for three more scores.

Leary’s time at NC State is likely headlined by his 2021 season in which he appeared in 12 games for a Wolfpack team that went 9-3. During that season, Leary would complete 65.7% of his passes for 3,433 yards and a 35:5 TD:INT ratio, ranking top five in the ACC in each.

Devin Leary’s 2021 season:

• 65.7 CMP% – No. 3 in ACC (Also No. 4 in ACC with 283 completions)
• 3,433 passing yards – No. 4 in ACC
• 35 TD – No. 3 in ACC, No. 10 in NCAA
• 157 Passing Efficiency Rating – No. 3 in ACC

Leary is also a former four-star recruit from the 2018 class out of Timber Creek High School in New Jersey, and has appeared in 30 games across his time at NC State since.

Leary will be a redshirt senior with Kentucky football next season, and is likely the clear favorite to takeover as the Wildcats starting quarterback in 2023 with Will Levis moving on to the NFL.