Devin Leary makes Bill Bender's Top 25 Quarterback Rankings

MrsTylerKSR

In 108 days, the Kentucky Football team will open the 2023 season with a new quarterback, Devin Leary, under center. The NC State transfer was able to participate in spring practice after recovering from a torn pectoral muscle that cut his 2022 season short, but how he’ll do as Will Levis‘ successor still feels like a bit of a mystery as we prepare for season eleven of the Mark Stoops Era.

At least one national media member is confident Leary will adequately fill Levis’ shoes. The Sporting News’ Bill Bender put Leary 18th in his ranking of the Top 25 quarterbacks in college football, thanks in part to the return of offensive coordinator Liam Coen.

18. Devin Leary, Kentucky
2022 stats: 1,265 yards, 61.1%, 11 TDs, 4 INTs
Which Leary is Kentucky getting? The one that passed for 35 TDs and five interceptions at NC State in 2021 and was a game-changer for the Wolfpack? Or the inconsistent quarterback who dealt with injuries last season? It’s a clean slate as Will Levis’ successor, and Leary should benefit with the return of offensive coordinator Liam Coen. According to Pro Football Focus, Leary owns a 43.6% completion percentage with 18 TDs and four interceptions on passes of 20 yards or more through the ups and downs the last two years.

Instead of doing traditional rankings, ESPN’s David Hale divided all 133 quarterbacks in the FBS into tiers. He placed Leary atop Tier 6, “A second act after ACC struggles.”

Leary finished 2021 with 35 touchdown passes and just five picks, but battled inconsistency and, ultimately, injury in 2022. He transferred to Kentucky and hopes to follow in the footsteps of Will Levis, who went from leading the Wildcats’ offense to the 33rd overall pick in the NFL draft. Oh, one small problem though: Of those six QBs who saw an 18-plus point decline in Total QBR year over year? Levis was one of them.

Sign up for the KSR Newsletter to get breaking news and daily headlines delivered directly to your inbox.

Drew Franklin talks expectations for Leary on the On3 Roundtable

In addition to Coen, Leary will benefit from a revamped offensive line, talented playmakers like Barion Brown and Dane Key, and a reliable running back in Ray Davis — along with his former teammate, running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, who committed to Kentucky yesterday. Our own Drew Franklin joined JD PicKell on the On3 Roundtable earlier this week to discuss expectations for Leary this fall. The Big Blue Wall was a big topic.

“As a Kentucky fan, I’m very excited about what Leary can bring but I think for starters, it’s about just keeping him alive. The offensive line was a really big reason behind the dip with Will Levis in Year 2, and also they’re bringing Liam Coen back when a Rich Scangarello experiment didn’t go well at coordinator last year.

“So, I think the offense as a whole has a complete overhaul with Leary getting the reins. They’re very excited about what he showed two years ago at NC State. He’s bouncing back from a torn pec, but he looks ready in the spring in the limited time we got to see him. So, I think he will be a good quarterback back there with a lot of playmakers around him, as long as they can keep them alive.”

Hopefully, the new additions to the offensive line from the transfer portal — NIU transfer Marques Cox, Alabama transfer Tanner Bowles, and Ohio State transfer Ben Christman — will help.