Kentucky gets quarterback it wanted in North Carolina State transfer Devin Leary

Devin Leary started 26 games at North Carolina State but was injured midway of the 2022 season. (North Carolina State Photo)

No matter where Kentucky’s recruiting class is ranked when the national signing period that starts Wednesday ends, the Cats will have done far better in recruiting than it will appear.

Kentucky again seems to have struck gold in the transfer portal by landing North Carolina State quarterback Devin Leary and Vanderbilt running back Raymond Davis both Tuesday.

Leary is considered the top quarterback in the transfer portal by most and Davis is regarded just as highly among the running back prospects. On paper at least, it seems UK has found replacements for quarterback Will Levis and running back Chris Rodriguez.

Leary threw for over 6,800 yards and 62 touchdowns with 16 interceptions at North Carolina State where he completed just over 60 percent of his passes. He was considered the No. 5 player in the transfer portal — and top quarterback — by 247Sports and picked UK over Auburn, Notre Dame, Oregon, UCLA and South Carolina.

Leary made 26 starts at North Carolina State and threw for 35 touchdowns and 3,433 yards with just five interceptions in 2021. He was named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year going into this season but he suffered a season-ending injury — a torn pectoral muscle — in a win against Florida State Oct. 8.

Obviously Kentucky and likely new offensive coordinator Liam Coen believe he will be healthy for the 2023 season. He’s a New Jersey native and was a four-star prospect coming out of high school.

He redshirted in 2018, started the final five games of 2019 and then in the 2020 COVID season he suffered a fractured fibula midway of the year when he had eight touchdown passes and just two interceptions.

Coen had connections to Levis when he took over as UK’s offensive coordinator for the 2021 season that led to Levis transferring from Penn State to UK where he helped UK’s offense make a dramatic improvement before it took a step back this season after Coen left for the Los Angeles Rams.

Now the question will be what happens to UK backup quarterbacks Kaiya Sheron, Deuce Hogan, and Destin Wade if Leary takes over for Levis, , a projected top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft who threw for 5,232 yards and 43 touchdowns at UK.