How Devin Leary has Progressed as a Quarterback

by:Nick Roush•08/15/23•

RoushKSR

Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” It may be true, but it’s a temptation that’s difficult to resist for sports fans. Like it or not, Devin Leary will continue to draw comparisons to his predecessor, Will Levis.

Even though they are both Power 5 transfer portal quarterbacks with NFL aspirations, their differences are more striking than their similarities. Levis was an athlete used as a change-of-pace runner with few starts under his belt at Penn State. Devin Leary is coming to Kentucky with multiple years of starting experience under his belt. Even though he has monumental NC State wins on his resume, like Levis, it took a little time for Leary to develop as a quarterback.

Mike Glennon was learning Jon Gruden’s playbook ahead of a few Hard Knocks cameos when he trained alongside Devin Leary at NC State. The redshirt freshman was raw but talented enough to become the starter during the final five games of the 2019 season. Leary always had an exceptional arm; figuring things out between the ears was a different kind of challenge.

“I think he matured as he got older,” Glennon told the KSR Football Podcast. “We talk about processing information, I felt like he did a better job, just understanding of where to go with the football. When he played kind of young, he came in as this Elite 11 quarterback, always had the big arm, but rightfully so as a redshirt freshman, he struggled a little bit. It can be a lot when you’re first getting adjusted, but as he went on he really improved in that area.”

Processing information was a weakness of his predecessor; it’s a strength for Devin Leary, a tool he’s sharpened over the years.

“The number one way you get better at processing information is experience and reps. Devin is going on his sixth year in college. He’s been around, he’s had live bullets. These aren’t just practice reps. He has a lot of game experience. I mean, two years ago he broke all of Phillip Rivers’ records at NC State for a single season.

“This guy’s played a lot of football. The more you’re out there doing it, the more comfortable you get, the more the game begins to slow down mentally. I think Devin’s clearly past that stage in his career where things have slowed down. He’s been there now for two years. It’s just a matter of getting back to going to the right place with the ball at the right time and not trying to do too much because this arm talent alone is enough to win a lot of football games.”

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Still Room to Grow for Devin Leary

Devin Leary is a quick processor. That was evident when the Wildcats worked their first 2-minute drill of the season. He was wheeling, dealing, and stealing yards from the defense en route to the end zone.

“Sometimes when you go that no-huddle offense, it’s almost like as a quarterback you don’t even have time to think, so you’re just playing. I feel like that’s honestly when Devin’s at his best,” said Glennon. “He’s not standing at the line of scrimmage, overthinking things. He’s just going out there playing backyard football, slinging the rock because that’s what he does best.”

The Kentucky quarterback can think fast on his feet. The problem is when he thinks too much.

“This time last year he was preseason ACC Player of the Year. I think he felt like he had to live up to that a little bit. He was forcing the ball a little bit at the beginning of the season before he got hurt.”

A new setting in Lexington with Liam Coen calling plays could be just what Devin Leary needs to maximize his potential.

“Hopefully now he’s kind of been able to reset,” said the other former NC State quarterback. “It’s a new environment, a fresh start and he can just go back to playing the way he was and that’s just taking what the defense gives him and what is there, then let it rip because that’s what he does best.”