Kentucky deserves more buzz with Devin Leary leading their offense

Kentucky’s transition from Will Levis to Devin Leary at quarterback is a big reason why many think the Wildcats won’t miss a step this fall. However, based on the buzz that Levis earned last season compared to what Leary is currently getting, On3’s J.D. PicKell says something isn’t right.

PicKell generated some additional buzz for Leary and the Wildcats while hosting ‘The Hard Count’ at SEC Media Days last week. He is very high on Leary coming to Lexington and what it could mean for UK, especially considering how much more proven he is compared to what Levis was when he first arrived in the bluegrass.

“Kentucky has a quarterback in Devin Leary that can flat out spin it, can flat out spin it,” PicKell said. “He wasn’t healthy last year, he’s transferring over from NC State.”

“But there was so much buzz around Will Levis? And I understand it. The arm talent, flashy, he’s got that ideal NFL quarterback build. He was getting first-round buzz. I understand that. I’m not against that,” continued PicKell. “But you take Will Levis’ best season and you take Devin Leary’s best season? Devin Leary has thrown for 600 more yards, 11 more touchdowns, and eight less interceptions. Give that man this Will Levis treatment! Why is Devin Leary not getting more buzz? Why is Kentucky not getting more buzz?“

Levis transferred in from Penn State with 102 pass attempts, 644 passing yards, and three passing touchdowns overall to his name. Comparatively, Leary arrives with 944 pass attempts, over 6,800 passing yards, and 62 passing touchdowns in his career.

Combining that resume with Kentucky’s offensive pieces has PicKell very confused as to why there’s a lack of interest around the Wildcats coming into the season.

“They’re going to protect him better, on paper at least. They added three offensive linemen through the transfer portal,” said PicKell. “They’ve got some weapons for him. Barion Brown, a freshman All-American. Dane Key can go up and get the rock. Tayvion Robinson? Absolute problem in space. They’ve got some pieces here. Also, Devin Leary is bringing with him his running back from NC State Demie Sumo-Karngbaye. An absolute dude now carrying the mail.”

“They’ve got a lot of pieces at Kentucky. Why are we not hyping Devin Leary a little bit more?,” PicKell asked.

At last summer’s SEC Media Days, the hype around Levis and Kentucky was enormous. A year later, though, there’s far less considering the media poll has them finishing fourth in their division.

In the end, PicKell just doesn’t necessarily see it that way considering the ways in which Leary is a quarterback upgrade and how he’ll help the Wildcats cause problems for their opposition in 2023.

“Will Levis was going to be that dude to get them over the hump to get them to Atlanta last year, according to a lot of people. And Devin Leary, in my opinion, is an upgrade based on his resume and he’s not getting talked about hardly at all.”

“For Kentucky? They’ve got a guy that I think can really make them a problem in the East. Are they going to win the East? I don’t know. But they’re for sure going to be a hurdle for a lot of teams that have to line up against Kentucky.”