Devin Leary named ACC preseason player of the year
Devin Leary picked up a prestigious honor Wednesday when the ACC announced the NC State signal caller is the 2022 ACC Preseason Player of the Year. This is monumental news and the first time a member of the Wolfpack has received that title during Dave Doeren‘s tenure as head coach.
The NC State signal caller finished the vote in first place with 40 ballots cast in this favor. Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman finished second with 30 votes, and Miami‘s Tyler Van Dyke rounded out the top three at 21 votes. A total of 164 media members voted on the award.
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“NC State’s Leary is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he became the first and only quarterback in ACC history to hit the 35 (touchdowns)-5 (interceptions) threshold in a single season,” The ACC’s press release said. “He set a new school single-season record with his 35 passing touchdowns, breaking the previous mark of 34 held by Philip Rivers (2003).”
Leary in one of five NC State athletes to make the preseason All-ACC squad, with Tanner Ingle, Payton Wilson, Drake Thomas and Grant Gibson all joining him on the list. The Wolfpack finished second amongst ACC teams, with only Clemson receiving more nominations.
The NC State signal caller exploded onto the scene as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks last year, tossing 35 touchdowns to go along with just five interceptions. According to a press release from NC State Athletics earlier this month, he is the only quarterback in ACC history to accomplish that feat.
Leary’s heroics helped the Wolfpack win nine games last year and are a significant reason why NC State is touted as a team to watch nationally this year. Both Athlon and Phil Steele awarded Leary preseason All-ACC second-team honors as well, joining a double-digit list of NC State athletes on both lists.
Doeren touts Leary’s ability to perform in clutch situations. He discussed those skills in an exclusive interview with The Wolfpacker in June.
“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.”
Leary and the rest of the Wolfpack are set to start their 2022 campaign in just over one month. NC State reports to training camp August 2 before starting practice August 3. The Wolfpack kicks off the season Sept. 3 against East Carolina.
