LEXINGTON, Ky. – August 8, 2023
Graduate transfer quarterback was 17-9 as a starter and threw for 6,807 yards in four seasons at NC State
Kentucky senior quarterback Devin Leary is one of 35 quarterbacks selected to the 2023 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Preseason Watch List, it was announced Tuesday by the Davey O’Brien Foundation.
Compiled by a subset of the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee, this year’s list was selected based on career player performance and expectations heading into the 2023 college football season. All nominees are required to have previously started at least one game at an NCAA Division I institution.
Leary, a native of Sicklerville, New Jersey, transferred to Kentucky in January after four seasons at NC State. He completed 568-of-944 passes for 62 touchdowns and his 6,807 career passing yards ranks sixth on NC State’s career list. His 60.2 percent completion mark ranks fourth. Leary was 17-9 overall as a starter.
In 2022, he led NC State to 5-1 record and a top-15 ranking in the national polls before suffering a season-ending injury. Prior to that, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Player of the Year and was one of 25 semifinalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
Leary graduated in December of 2022 with a degree in sport management and is currently working on an undergraduate certificate in business from UK.
The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. The 47th Annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner honoring the winner will be held Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
The official Davey O’Brien Midseason Watch List will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 24, and will contain all active quarterbacks from the Preseason Watch List, all players honored as a weekly Great 8 recipient through the season’s first eight weeks and any additional quarterbacks approved by the selection subcommittee.
The Midseason Watch List will then be pared down to the 35-player Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2023 on Tuesday, Oct. 31. Fan voting on social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) will again play a role in the semifinalist, finalist and winner voting totals when combined with the national selection committee’s ballots. Voting will begin on Oct. 31.
The list of semifinalists selected from the QB Class will be named on Tuesday, Nov. 14. The Foundation will announce the three finalists two weeks later (Tuesday, Nov. 28). The 2023 Davey O’Brien Award winner will be unveiled live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 7, during The Home Depot College Football Awards.
The Wildcats begin the 2023 season begins Sept. 2 in Kroger Field against Ball State. The Wildcats’ first three games of the season will be at home (vs. EKU on Sept. 9 and vs. Akron on Sept. 16). UK’s SEC home opener will be Sept. 30 vs. Florida.
Fans interested in season-ticket purchases for the highly-anticipated 2023 season can visit UKFootballTix.com for ticket prices and more information. Ticket packages start at just $225, offering significant savings over single-game ticket prices. Additionally, single-game ticket inventory for some of the most in-demand home matchups are already extremely limited, so fans hoping to guarantee a primary ticket spot for those games are encouraged to consider season-ticket options.
UK is coming off a school record seventh straight bowl appearance, as the Cats finished the 2022 season with a 7-6 record. The Cats are 54-35 over the last seven seasons, including a 35-14 mark at Kroger Field.
