Devin Leary will inherit stable receiver situation at Kentucky

The 2022 Kentucky football season finally came to an end on New Year’s Eve in Nashville. Kentucky’s offense was blanked by Iowa’s top-five defense as the Cats finished the season scoring 20.4 points per game. That was the program’s lowest output in a decade.

Once again, some big offensive changes are coming to Lexington. The first big addition came when NC State transfer Devin Leary signed with Kentucky. The second will presumably come after the NFL season when offensive coordinator Liam Coen leaves the Los Angeles Rams to make a return to the SEC.

Coen will be working with Leary to help fix some of the offensive issues in Lexington. But the newest Kentucky quarterback will be walking into a very good pass catching situation.

Assuming former Virginia Tech transfer Tayvion Robinson returns for his super senior year in 2023, Kentucky will bring back its top five receivers from 2022. Let’s take a look at the returning production.

• Barion Brown: 50 receptions (85 targets), 628 yards, 4 touchdowns
• Tayvion Robinson: 40 receptions (52 targets), 497 yards, 3 touchdowns
• Dane Key: 37 receptions (55 targets), 519 yards, 6 touchdowns
• Jordan Dingle: 20 receptions (31 targets), 220 yards, 3 touchdowns
• JuTahn McClain: 18 receptions (26 targets), 100 yards, 1 touchdown

In total, Kentucky could be returning 165 receptions from its top five pass catchers in 2022. That should give the offense a headstart on rebuilding the offense.

Both Barion Brown and Dane Key have potential WR1 potential in the SEC. Tayvion Robinson has the potential to be a strong option in the slot. Jordan Dingle flashed as a receiver in year two this fall. JuTahn McClain is a multi-purprose tailback who brings value as a pass catcher.

Leary is inheriting a good situation in Lexington. The Wildcats labored in 2022, but the pieces are there for this to be a top-25 passing offense next season. Kentucky has landed a proven winning quarterback in the transfer portal who will be distributing the ball to a stable wide receiver, tight end, and tailback situation.

The pieces appear to be there for Kentucky to be productive on offense again next season. The passing game should be what leads the Cats to wins in 2022.