Devin Leary

HISTORY — from college profile

2023 (sr): Mid-year enrollee... Transferred to Kentucky after four playing seasons at NC State (2019-2022)... Widely regarded as the top quarterback to enter the transfer portal.

—at North Carolina State—

Left NC State ranked sixth in school history with 6,807 career passing yards and fourth in career completion percentage (.602)... Was 17-9 as a starter at NC State... Played in 30 career games with 26 starting assignments.

2022 (sr): Named Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Player of the Year in 2022... Went 118 for 193 in six games with 1,265 yards, 11 TDs and a 61 percent completion rate before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury vs. Florida State... NC State was 5-1 and ranked in the top-15 of both The Associated Press and Coaches’ Poll at the time of his injury... One of 25 semifinalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

2021 (jr): Generated 3,433 passing yards, completing 283 of 431 passes for 35 passing touchdowns and just five interceptions in 12 games... Named NC State’s winner of the Governor’s Award for Most Valuable Player, the Ken McNeill Award for comeback from injury and the Torry Holt Award for Offensive MVP... Named to the Manning Award midseason list, the Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2021 and the Johnny Unitas finalist list... Set a new school single-season record with 35 passing touchdowns – he broke the previous mark of 34 held by Philip Rivers (2003)... Ranked third in the league in passing efficiency with a 157.1 mark – the second-best mark for a season in school history... 3,433 passing yards ranks sixth in the Wolfpack single-season record book... Boasted a .657 completion percentage the third-best mark in school history... ACC leader in touchdown passes thrown against league competition with 27 (two more than any other ACC QB)... The only QB in school history to throw for four or more TDs against five ACC opponents in the same season and the only player to throw for four or more in three consecutive games... Had thrown 228 straight passes without an INT – the third-longest streak in school history and the longest current streak in the FBS – before throwing a pick on a end-of-half hail mary at FSU... Completed a career-high 37 passes at Wake Forest, attempted a career-high 59... Named the Walter Camp FBS Offensive Player of the Week following the win over Clemson … Also named a Manning Star of the Week, the Davey O’Brien National QB of the Week and the ACC QB of the week... Threw for four TDs – including two in overtime – and completed 73.7% of his throws in the win over the ninth-ranked Clemson

2020 (soph): Saw action in four games with three starts... Completed 66 of 110 passes for 890 yards and eight scores... Expected starter at quarterback heading into fall camp, but after being contract traced for more than two weeks, he missed crucial practice time... Came off the bench in game two at Virginia Tech and then started the next three games – all three Wolfpack wins... Suffered a fractured fibula in the second half of the win over Duke and underwent surgery the following day, ending his season... Posted a .600 completion percentage for the season – the No. 14 mark in school history... Turned in a 148.33 efficiency mark – second only to Philip Rivers and Don Buckey for a single season in school history... Averaged 6.95 yards per play in 2020, the sixth-best single season mark in school history... Named to the Davey O’Brien Great 8 List and was a Manning Award Star of the Week for his performance at Pitt … Also named the ACC QB of the Week vs. Pitt, became the first Wolfpack QB with 330+ passing yards, four passing TDs and no INTs in a game since Russell Wilson in 2009 … Threw for a career-high 336 yards on 28 of 44 passing and four touchdown passes – including the game-winner with 0:23 left on the clock … Got the ball down with 1:44 left on the clock and no timeouts and drove the offense 75 yards for the winning score … Was 6-of-9 for 74 yards on that final drive... Did not play in UK’s win over NC State in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

2019 (redshirt fr): Played in eight games with five starts as a redshirt freshman... Completed 101-of-210 passes with eight touchdowns... First redshirt freshman to start at QB for NC State since Russell Wilson in 2010 when he started the last five games of the season... Posted his season high in terms of passing yards (259), TD passes (3) and his long pass (55) while coming in off the bench at BC

2018 (fr): Redshirt season

High School: A four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at Timber Creek Regional (Sicklerville, NJ) for head coach Rob Hinson... Helped lead the Chargers to an impressive 46-5 record during his four seasons, including winning the 2016 and 2017 state championships... Finished his prep career as the state of New Jersey’s all-time leader in passing yards (9,672) and touchdown throws (117)... Completed 566-of-910 passes for 9,672 yards and 117 touchdowns... Also rushed for 525 career yards and 11 TDs... Named the Gatorade Player of the Year in New Jersey as both a junior and senior... Earned his team’s Most Valuable player award three straight seasons... Played in the Polynesian Bowl in Hawaii... Took part in both the Elite 11 and The Nike Opening Finals after his junior season... Also a two-year letterwinner on the baseball team in 2015 and 2016

PERSONAL

Born in Vorhees, New Jersey... Son of Glen and Lorie Leary... Siblings are Andrew, Shannon, Donovan and Riley... Younger brother, Donovan, is a redshirt freshman quarterback at Illinois... Writes left-handed but learned to throw with his right because he used his right-handed brother’s baseball glove as a kid... Graduated from NC State in December of 2022 with a degree in sport management… Currently working on an undergraduate certificate in business...said the highlight of his life so far has been watching his little brother emerge as a Division I quarterback.