Mark Stoops says Kentucky 'hit a home run' with Devin Leary signing

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops heralded the signing of former NC State star quarterback Devin Leary on Wednesday as a “home run.” Leary has one year of eligibility remaining and he chose to use it with the Wildcats instead of Auburn which he visited last week.

Kentucky is losing star quarterback Will Levis to the NFL Draft shortly. Leary has the chance to mirror Levis’ path to the draft with his transfer into the program.

“(Devin’s) a guy that was really sought-after,” Stoops said. “Anybody, and I mean anybody and everyone, that was in the quarterback market was after him, so we really feel like we hit a home run with him.

“I’ve told you that I feel confident with the quarterbacks on campus but this gives you a one-year transfer free-agent to come in for a year and really bridge that gap. I’m excited to watch the quarterbacks play in this bowl game but with Devin, it brings in a proven guy with a lot of snaps under his belt. With the playmakers we have in place, that’s a really big get for us.”

Leary chooses Kentucky over host of suitors

With the Wildcats, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound signal-caller gets a fresh start and an opportunity to shine in the nation’s most competitive conference.

He was the Preseason ACC Player of the Year this summer after throwing for 3,433 yards, 35 touchdowns and only five interceptions in 2021.

Leary’s career at NC State came to an abrupt end in October when he suffered a torn pectoral muscle. Originally, Leary’s timeline to return had him missing just a couple of weeks. However, NC State dropped a bombshell in mid-October, revealing that the Wolfpack signal caller would undergo season-ending surgery.

Over six games this season, Leary accumulated 1,265 passing yards with a 61.6% completion rate and 11 touchdowns to four interceptions.

Devin Leary was a top-350 recruit when he signed with NC State in 2018, according to the On3 Consensus. He finished his prep career as New Jersey’s all-time leader in passing yards (9,672) and passing touchdowns (117).

He played his way into a starting role in 2019 and during three seasons as the primary signal-caller accumulated a 17-4 record. Leary completed 60.2% of his career passes for 6,807 yards (7.2 yards per attempt), 62 touchdowns, and only 16 interceptions.