BREAKING: NC State QB Devin Leary enters transfer portal
NC State star quarterback and 2022 Preseason ACC Player of the Year Devin Leary will enter the transfer portal for his final year of college eligibility, per reports from On3’s Matt Zenitz and ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The Wolfpack signal-caller started the first 6 games of the season before surgery on a partially-torn pectoral muscle forced him to miss the rest of the year.
Leary confirmed those reports with a tweet Monday morning.
Before his injury, Leary threw for 1,265 yards and 11 touchdowns, adding 3 more scores on the ground. This move signals a new era under center for NC State, as the program’s returning quarterback room will likely consist of current true freshman MJ Morris and redshirt-freshman Ben Finley.
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Morris went 2-1 as a starter and completed 52 of 86 passes for 648 yards and 7 touchdowns with an interception over 5 games. He also rushed for 163 yards and a score. Finley won the regular-season finale over UNC and finished the year 43-of-75 passing for 472 yards and 3 scores with an interception.
The Wolfpack is also set to sign On3 Consensus three-star quarterback Lex Thomas from Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage High. Thomas, the younger brother of NC State super senior receiver Thayer Thomas and fourth-year junior linebacker Drake Thomas, completed 40 of 59 passes for 538 yards and 3 scores and rushed for 3 touchdowns in 4 games before suffering a season-ending injury.
The Athletics’s Bruce Feldman considers Missouri, coached by former Wolfpack offensive coordinator Eli Drinkwitz, as a potential destination for Leary.
“One intriguing option for NC State’s Devin Leary is Mizzou,” Feldman tweeted. “Coach Eli Drinkwitz recruited for NCSU when he was an assistant there. leary’s very talented and had a 48-9 TD-INT ratio.”
Leary was the 2022 ACC Preseason Player of the Year after a banner 2021 campaign in which he led the Wolfpack to a 9-3 season by throwing for a school-record 35 touchdowns while only tossing 5 picks. He had a 65.7 percent completion rate for 3,433 yards.
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At the time of his injury, Leary was non-committal about his future, noting, “But really, for me, I mean, I can’t make any type of decision without being healthy, without knowing when I’m going to throw again.”
Leary’s rehab was expected to be 4-6 months after having surgery in October.
In an interview with The Wolfpacker prior to the 2022 season, head coach Dave Doeren elaborated on what makes Leary special, specifically in the final minutes of games.
“I’ve never had one that’s as good as he is in that situation, I just haven’t,” Doeren said. “It’s nice to see it. Been around some guys that do it every now and then, but not to the degree that he’s been able to do it.
“To me, that’s what separates him from everybody else out there. He’s really good at the end of the half, and he has been for multiple years. Pretty special.”
