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ESPN Reporter Praises Kentucky Football and Devin Leary, “The Kid Can F***ing Play”

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Kentucky football quarterback Devin Leary in spring practice.
© Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

ESPN’s Cole Cubelic had much praise for new Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary on his podcast, Cube Show.

When justifying why he had Kentucky in the top five of his SEC power rankings, Cole Cubelic said, “There’s almost no conversation about Devin Leary. I’m here to tell you guys the kid can f***ing play.”

So, just how much can Devin Leary “f***ing play”? Let’s take a look at his collegiate career thus far:

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Leary came out of high school as a three-star prospect out of Sicklerville, New Jersey, where he was named the 2016 New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year. On April 6, 2017, Devin Leary committed to NC State, and he would play for the Wolfpack from 2019-2022.

  • 2019: 8 Games, 101 Cmp, 210 Att, 48.1 Cmp%, 1,219 Yds, 8 TDs, 5 INTs
  • 2020: 4 Games, 66 Cmp, 110 Att, 60 Cmp%, 890 Yds, 8 TDs, 2 INTs
  • 2021: 12 Games, 283 Cmp, 431 Att, 65.7 Cmp%, 3,433 Yds, 35 TDs, 5 INTs
  • 2022: 6 Games, 118 Cmp, 193 Att, 61.1 Cmp%, 1,265 Yds, 11 TDs, 4 INTs

As you can see, the injury bug has been a bit of an issue with Leary, but when he is healthy, he is lights out.

His freshman year was rather mediocre. Most of the passes Leary threw fell incomplete, and his 8 TDs to 5 INTs weren’t promising. However, things began to turn around his sophomore year.

Despite only playing four games in 2020 due to breaking his fibula (calf bone), significant improvements in Leary’s accuracy and play-making ability were apparent. His completion percentage rose to 60%, and his 8 TDs to 2 INTs were trending in the right direction.

After breaking his fibula, Leary took a redshirt year. So, in what was his redshirt sophomore year in 2021, Leary was back and better than ever. The stats speak for themselves. Leary completed just under 66% of his passes, threw for almost 3,500 yards, and had 35 TDs to only 5 INTs.

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2021 was a borderline Heisman candidate year for Devin Leary. He led NC State to a 9-3 record and a final ranking in the top 20 in both the AP poll and the Coaches Poll. As a Kentucky football fan, this is the type of season you should hope for and expect from Leary.

In his final year at NC State in 2022, Leary would play in just 6 games due to a torn pectoral muscle he suffered against Florida State in a 19-17 win. He seemed to be on pace for yet another great season, completing 61.1% of his passes and throwing for 1,265 yards. His 11 TDs to 4 INTs was also a good sign.

At the point of Leary’s injury, NC State was 5-1 and had just beaten No. 12 Florida State. Their only loss at that point was to Clemson, who barely scraped by the Wolfpack.

After a successful surgery on his torn pectoral muscle and after making a full recovery, the Big Blue Nation anxiously waits to see how their new offensive captain will lead the team.

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And just based off of Cole Cubelic’s praise of Devin Leary and his stats at NC State, the future is bright for Kentucky football.

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Louisville Football Player Charged With First-Degree Strangulation, Days After Committing Game Losing Personal Foul

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Louisville Cardinals defensive back Tayon Holloway (20) reacts to his defensive play.
Eric Canha | Imagn

On Monday, Louisville football defensive back Tayon Holloway was detained and charged with first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault.

This comes just days after the former four-star prospect committed a costly personal foul to put a 2-7 Stanford team in field goal range and upset Louosillve 38-35 with a walk-off field goal.

As expected, Holloway has been indefinitely suspended from the team.

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“The University of Louisville is aware of the arrest of football student-athlete Tayon Holloway,” the university said in a statement. “As we gather more information, Tayon has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities.”

Things Cardinals seem to be in a downward trend as the Commonwealth Cup nears, November 30th.

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Kentucky snaps four game losing streak defeats Murray State 48-6

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops talking to Murray State football coach Jody Wright.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

Kentucky gets a much-needed victory over Murray St 48-6 to snap its four-game losing Streak. Brock Vandagriff led the way for the Cats, going 12-19 for 183 passing yards and two touchdown passes to Hardley Gilmore IV and Ja’Mori Maclin. 48 Points is the most points Kentucky has scored in a game since 2021 when the Cats scored 51 points against Louisville.

The defense held Murray St. without a touchdown. For the second time this season, Kentucky’s defense has held an opponent without a touchdown.

Freshman Standout today:

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For the second time this season, Kentucky breaks the 40-point mark as three freshmen make impacts for Kentucky. Jamarion Wilcox had 13 carries and 124 yards with a touchdown in the 3rd quarter.

Receiver Hardley Gilmore IV had two receptions for 72 yards and caught the 52-yard touchdown pass from Brock Vandagriff on the game-opening drive.

Four-star quarterback Cutter Boley started the second half for the Cats, going 10-14 and passing for 130 yards with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, both touchdown passes to sophomore receiver Anthony Brown-Stephens.

Defense Bounces Back:

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After giving up over 475 yards of total offense each of the last three games, Kentucky’s defense holds Murray State to 256 total yards of offense while also having three takeaways from the Murray State offense

Defensive Lineman Tre’vonn Rybka led the way for the defense with five tackles and the only sack of the game for Kentucky’s defense. Jordan Lovett had two takeaways in the first half for Kentucky and one in the red zone in the second quarter. Jackson Schultz had the final takeaway, picking off Jim Ogle’s pass late in the fourth quarter.

Box Score

With the win today over Murray St., Kentucky moves to 4-6 (1-6 SEC) with two games remaining. They look to keep their bowl eligibility alive as they travel to Austin, Texas, and face the No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns at 3:30 pm on ABC. 

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Mark Stoops Responds to Retirement Rumors, “Zero Percent Chance I Do That”

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops responds to retirement rumors amidst disappointing season. "Zero percent chance I do that."
Jordan Prather | Imagn

To say there is unrest in the Kentucky Football fanbase would be an understatement. With a 3-6 record overall, and 1-6 in the SEC (15th out of 16) things look bleak, and there is still a quarter of the season to go. Considering the regression from the previous two seasons as well, it’s difficult to be optimistic about the future.

Over the last few weeks, rumors have circled that head coach Mark Stoops has considered retiring at the end of the season. Optics wise it makes sense, his older brother Bob Stoops surprisingly retired from Oklahoma at just 56, and Mark, now 57, has expressed a desire to spend more time with his children.

At his weekly press conference, Stoops was asked directly if there is any chance that he would walk away from Kentucky and retire at the season. To which he responded, bluntly:

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“Zero percent chance I do that. Next question.”

Mark Stoops is still owed more than $44 million on his contract. That’s A LOT of money to leave on the table and is the reason that the decision will be Stoops’ to make, as Kentucky cannot afford the buyout.

If Stoops holds true to his word and returns next season, NIL fundraising efforts may be the most difficult it has been for him. However, he hopes it sparks motivation to donate.

“I’ve seen it at other SEC schools,” Stoops said. “I want to stay away from that. I really get tired of — I don’t want to be like I am whining, I am crying. It is reality. You have to have dollars.”

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