Mark Stoops says Devin Leary looked 'really good' in first Kentucky practice

Devin Leary tore his right pectoral muscle on Oct. 8 and had surgery nine days later. Less than five months later, the new Kentucky quarterback is throwing in live action during spring practice.

Head coach Mark Stoops evaluated the coveted transfer’s first practice with the Wildcats this spring and said his throwing arm is starting to look back to normal as he nears the end of his recovery.

“Obviously, the transfer everybody’s going to want to talk about with Devin (Leary) and he looked really good, was able to go through basically an entire practice,” Stoops said Monday. “I’m sure that the trainers are watching them and limiting him some but to my eye, it was basically an entire practice. He was just fine and looked really good.

Along with the other quarterbacks, I think they’re making strides working really hard, working with Liam (Coen) to improve in a lot of ways.”

Leary threw for 6,807 career passing yards and 67 total touchdowns throughout his four-year career at NC State. He ended up missing the final six games of his senior season but finished with 1,265 yards with 11 touchdown passes and four interceptions hanging up his cleats for the year.

While 2022 didn’t pan out the way he expected, Leary was the Preseason ACC Player of the Year last summer after throwing for 3,433 yards, 35 touchdowns and only five interceptions in 2021. Expectations are only going to be higher in Liam Coen’s offense in the SEC.

The first chance for Big Blue Nation to see Leary in a Kentucky uniform will be on Saturday, April 1 when the Wildcats hold an open practice outside of the Joe Craft Football Training Facility. The open practice will serve in place for the annual spring game, which the program opted against this offseason.