Mark Stoops: Kentucky 'Hit a Home Run' by Landing Devin Leary in the Transfer Portal
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As hectic as the month of December is in the college football world, Kentucky and Mark Stoops — in his words — "hit all areas of need" via the transfer portal and the recruiting trail.
The Early Signing Period is coming to a close, and the Wildcats have officially added 23 new faces to the roster for the 2023 season:
High School Signees
- 4-Star WR Shamar Porter
- 4-Star DB Avery Stuart
- 4-Star LB Grant Godfrey
- 4-Star DB Jaremiah Anglin Jr
- 4-Star LB Jayvant Brown
- 3-Star WR Anthony Brown
- 3-Star TE Khamari Anderson
- 3-Star DL Tavion Gadson
- 3-Star OT Koby Keenum
- 3-Star DL Tommy Ziesmer
- 3-Star OT Austin Ramsey
- 3-Star WR Ardell Banks
- 3-Star OT Malachi Wood
- 3-Star DB Ty Bryant
- 3-Star DB Nasir Addison
- 3-Star TE Tanner Lemaster
- 3-Star WR Jacob Dixon
Transfer Portal Signees
- NC State QB Devin Leary
- Vanderbilt RB Ray Davis
- Northern Illinois OT Marques Cox
- Alabama OL Tanner Bowles
- Cincinnati DB JQ Hardaway
- Ohio State DB Jantzen Dunn
Perhaps the biggest storyline heading into the 2023 season is the fact that Kentucky has landed its starting quarterback in Devin Leary.
It's no secret that the NC State transfer is the prized possession of the incoming class. Even Stoops says so:
"I know our Kentucky football team got better today, with the addition of the nucleus of our guys from high school and obviously the transfers — really headlined by Devin Leary — a guy that was highly sought after," he told reporters on Wednesday afternoon. "Anybody that was in the quarterback market — and I mean anybody and everybody — that was in the quarterback market was after him."
Across five seasons in Raleigh, Leary compiled 6,807 passing yards, 62 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He has also ran for five scores as a member of the Wolfpack from 2018-22.
The Wildcats are getting an established passer who has a track record of making smarts throw and keeping his team in the game through the air. The transition from the Will Levis era now also appears much easier.
"We really feel like we hit a home run with him. I feel confident with the quarterbacks that we have on campus, but this gives you a one-year transfer — free agent, if you will — to come in for a year and really bridge that gap and let our guys continue to grow — the QBs that we have on campus," Stoops continued "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."
Comparisons between Levis and Leary of course will be made. Both are pro-style QBs who possess a lot of the same traits, but also differ in quite a few areas.
Leary won't be running defenders over or snapping off 60-yard deep balls, but his addition becomes much more comforting to Stoops and Kentucky, because of his legitimate experience as a starter for a top-25 team while at NC State:
"You know as well, it's really not fair to compare people. You have two talented players, two very good players," Stoops said of the QBs. Different situations the way they came in. With Will coming, primarily used as a running quarterback, not really seeing him throw that much. Will came in and really proved himself that first year. With Devin, he has quite a few more snaps on tape. Much different in that aspect. Devin has clearly more experience and more snaps under his belt. They're already different in that area. They're both very good players, very talented in their own right. That's all I can say at this point."
The hunt for a new QB was beyond important for Stoops. Multiple big Power Five options emerged, so there was no lack of potential talent. Not everyone was going to be a plug-and-play fit, however.
Once it was reported that Liam Coen was set to return as offensive coordinator in Lexington next season, it became clear what type of signal-caller the Cats were going to be after.
Wisconsin's Graham Mertz was pegged as a viable option, and was even rumored to even be a lock to take over the QB spot for the Cats. That was until Leary was thrown in the mix.
"There's some very talented guys out there. We were fortunate that so many were interested in us," Stoops said. "For myself even, that gets to be a little bit of an awkward situation because I have such respect for those guys. There's so many really good players, really high interest in us. You had to juggle that. As I hope you all feel, I really try to be very honest and transparent with everybody. That gets tough in that situation, in that free agency, if you will."
UK became laser-focused on locking down the Sicklerville, New Jersey native. It landed a visit from the QB, and less than a week after rolling out the red carpet, was met with a gargantuan commitment that had Stoops all-smiles at his Signing Day presser.
"I always have great appreciation for people as detailed and thorough, very much process-orientated as he is. He's already on football. He's getting after it. He's the type of guy you're looking for," Stoops said of his new QB.
The hype of Leary in blue and white won't come without some injury concern, however.
In 2020, his season was cut short in the fourth game of the year, as he suffered a broken fibula. He would rehab and come back better than ever in 2021, breaking out by throwing for 3,433 yards, 35 touchdowns (program record) and five interceptions, leading NC State to a 9-3 record.
Unfortunately, his time on the sidelines wasn't over. After being touted as an NFL Draft prospect coming into the 2022 campaign, a major injury would again hamper his season. On Oct. 8, he went down with a torn pectoral on his throwing side, forcing him to miss the rest of the year, while the Wolfpack's season quickly spiraled downward.
The concern clearly wasn't great enough to warrant the Cats not taking a swing for his last season of eligibility, as Stoops expects Leary to be ready in time for spring practice. He, as well as UK's five other transfers, will enroll in the Bluegrass early, setting the table for what will be a hype-filled 2023.
Amongst all of the positive things that Stoops had to say about Leary, he described his mixture of leadership and ability nicely, giving him one if the highest compliments a player can receive:
"He's a dude."
If that doesn't sell you, I don't know what will.
Kentucky's Early Signing Period tracker can be found here.
Kentucky's transfer portal tracker can be found here.
Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.
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