Devin Leary explains what players should look for when they enter the transfer portal

With Will Levis off to the NFL, Kentucky once again turned to the transfer portal to bring in its next quarterback. The Wildcats turned to the ACC to land Devin Leary from NC State, marking the second straight time Mark Stoops used the portal to address a need at QB.

The portal remains a big issue in college sports as players now have immediate eligibility. More than 2,700 players entered the portal during the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Transfer Portal Wire, which was up from the 2,335 entries in 2022.

Players transfer for plenty of reasons, but Leary pointed out what he thinks players should look for when they go into the portal. His reasons were about developing to get to the NFL, and he thinks Kentucky has the resources to help him get to that level.

“I think for everyone entering the portal, you’ve got to weigh out all your options,” Leary said on The Paul Finebaum Show on Wednesday. “You’ve got to know what your end goal is, what you want to get out of this game. For me, I wanted to develop as the best possible player as I can not only where I’m at right now, but continue to excel on to the next level and hope to have a successful career later down the line.

“It starts right now, being able to learn in this system, being able to learn around guys like Coach [Liam] Coen. And just playing under a coach like Coach Stoops of just really showing my natural leadership ability and really making sure that guys around here can rally behind me, as well.”

Stoops and the staff saw plenty of success with Levis, who transferred from Penn State. He put together an impressive 2021 season with 2,826 yards and 28 touchdowns before injuries got in the way in 2022. He lost out on the Penn State starting quarterback job to Sean Clifford before arriving in Lexington, but Leary brings a proven track record.

At NC State, Leary finished sixth in program history in career passing yards despite missing half the 2022 season due to a shoulder injury. After entering the portal, he became the No. 6-ranked transfer from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Transfer Portal Rankings. He was also the No. 2 quarterback transfer behind Sam Hartman.

Leary will make his Kentucky debut when the Wildcats open the season Sept. 2 against Ball State.