Ball placement, command, touch: Devin Leary can be the full package for Kentucky

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Kentucky landing former NC State quarterback Devin Leary was one of the biggest transfer portal recruiting wins of the offseason. The New Jersey native has valuable traits that showed up on tape and are playing out in real-time. The Cats are hopeful that can all lead to big results on the field.

The 2022 season was a disaster for the Kentucky offense. Under offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, UK fell from No. 5 to sub-90 in success rate, from No. 21 to No. 101 in yards per play, and No. 15 to No. 95 in points per drive despite having an early second-round pick at quarterback. Mark Stoops has gone back to the drawing board and rehired Liam Coen to run the show. This fall, the coaching staff will be banking on Leary to produce results. On the practice fields, UK has already seen some proof of concept.

“There was obviously some aha moments with just ball placement and just the way he throws it,” Stoops told media members on Wednesday at SEC Media Days. “Just a good football player.”

“But I like his approach. I love the way he handles himself. I love the command that he has and he can make all the throws. He has his great touch. Hopefully, he’ll make really good quick decisions and we’ll do a better job and put them in a position to be successful.”

The command, ball placement, and accuracy descriptions we’ve received about Leary have not just been coachspeak. Kentucky star EDGE J.J. Weaver has been impressed with the super senior and how quickly he can process.

“Just how fast he can get the ball out,” Weaver said about Kentucky’s new QB1. “He’s so fast and he knows what the receiver is doing. He knows every position, and he’s fast too. He can scramble low-key. I didn’t know that.”

The movement ability along with pre and post-snap decision making will allow Leary to avoid contact and keep him on the field. There is some real injury history with the high-profile transfer. Leary was knocked for the season as a redshirt sophomore in 2020 and a redshirt senior in 2022. Despite that unavailability, Kentucky believes that they should have the QB available for every game this season. The decision to go all-in on the transfer in recruiting was a no-brainer for Kentucky.

“It was an easy decision,” Stoops said. “You saw a guy with some playing experience that performed at a very high level. Obviously, he’s gone through some injuries, but hopefully he’ll stay healthy because we feel like those were freaky incidents really. He’s a very tough guy and he’s a heck of a football player and we’re going to add a player at any position that could help us win , because it is a different time. Back in the day when I first got here, it was about building from the ground up and really worrying about two, three years down the road.”

Kentucky football is in win-now mode, and the organization believes that Devin Leary is the man that could lead the Wildcats to a big season. The veteran has the key intangibles that lead to direct results on the football field. Ball placement creates completions, decision-making should provide efficiency, and command will make the newcomer a leader.

The Wildcats have their guy. Now they have to protect him.