Devin Leary, Kentucky Football News: Draft Scout Player News

02/11/23 - QB Devin Leary, rSr/2024, Kentucky

Robert Hinson knows both sides of Devin Leary's personality. One is the polite gentleman with a constant smile on his face. The one who will sign a thousand autographs. The one who won't turn down a photo request from an admiring fan. The one who once was the face of North Carolina State's football program - and, in due time, will assume that same role at Kentucky. Then there's the other side. Not mean. Just motivated. "Folks better not ever take (those things) as him not being a competitor," Hinson, Leary's coach at Timber Creek High School in New Jersey, told The Courier Journal over the phone last month, "because that smile will turn into a growl in a minute. He is a fierce competitor, and he loves to prove people wrong." An avid college football follower might wonder: How many doubters could Leary, the ACC's preseason player of the year last season as N.C. State's quarterback, possibly possess?

Enough that Hinson becomes animated at the thought of it. "Us guys who coach, and even his family, we look at all the media prognosticators who say, 'This guy is going to be a great NFL guy' or 'This guy is going to translate great to the NFL game,'" Hinson said. "... Or they're eventually going to be something. But Devin already has shown he has those abilities. I think he's still flying under the radar." The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Leary will have the opportunity to showcase his quarterbacking talent to those not already aware - to Hinson's delight - when the Wildcats begin their 2023 campaign. Transferring from N.C. State in December, Leary will suit up for his sixth, and final, college season this fall at Kentucky. It's a scenario few could have envisioned last summer. Blame a season-ending injury last year with the Wolfpack, his second in three years, for that. As Leary continues to recover from his latest injury, he's embarking on a new challenge: stepping into the void left by former UK quarterback Will Levis. - Courier Journal

rSr/2024