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

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1 year ago

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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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Kentucky Athletic Collectives Rank 11th of 16 Teams in SEC, Bring in over $11 Million

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2 weeks ago

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December 10, 2024

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Kentucky ranks 11th of 16 SEC teams in collective fundraising.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

For better or for worse of college sports, NIL is here to stay and it certainly gives an advantage to schools with more money. Just looking at the SEC alone, collectives raised more than $200 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Unfortunately, Kentucky is ranked in the lower half of that.

According to documents from the House v. NCAA proposed settlement, Kentucky raised $11,254,204 from athletics collectives for the 2023-24 fiscal year. That ranks 11th of the 15 public universities in the SEC and is just more than half of the top collective, Texas who raised over $22 million.

Full Rankings

Rank
School NameCollective Funding
1Texas22,272,474
2LSU20,137,141
3Georgia18,326,566
4Texas A&M17,228,714
5Alabama15,995,406
6Florida15,802,237
7Oklahoma14,817,595
8Tennessee11,602,164
9Auburn11,588,953
10Arkansas11,544,039
11Kentucky11,254,204
12S. Carolina9,554,700
13Ole Miss8,872,378
14Missouri7,146,859
15Mississippi St.6,467,166
NRVanderbiltNot Available (Private School)

While collective funding is low, Kentucky has been a top 20 athletic program in total revenue, partly thanks to being a school that profits from its basketball program. Looking ahead to 2025, Kentucky is expected to stay in the top 20 nationally in athletic revenue, fifth in the SEC by bringing in an estimated 131,139,792. Ahead of programs like Georgia, LSU, Florida, and Tennessee.

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With revenue sharing coming in the near future, even more money is going to be involved in roster and program building. Schools in the Big Ten and SEC have an even bigger advantage due to their new TV deals, giving them up to an extra $70 million or more.

A new era of college sports is here. It’s time to prepare and embrace it.

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Kentucky Wide Receiver Calls for “A Lot” More Leadership and Accountability from Staff

Published

3 weeks ago

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December 2, 2024

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Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops walks onto the field before the game against the Louisville Cardinals.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

A poor offensive line. Inconsistent quarterback play. A lot of things led to Kentucky football’s abysmal 2024 season. However, they had the talent to finish better than 4-8, only defeating one power opponent this season. So what could have helped?

Kentucky wide receiver Ja’Mori Maclin was asked that question after the Wildcats’ loss to Louisville on Saturday. To his credit, he answered honestly and professionally.

“A lot more leadership,” Maclin said. “Holding guys accountable for things. A lot more discipline for all the guys… All around, players and coaches. We’re still a team, I don’t want to point at any one person or specific group. All around we need better leadership.”

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Maclin is a junior and could return for another season. Despite talking about Kentucky taking the next step, he has not made his decision and will be returning home to talk to his family to do so. If Maclin does return, it sounds like Kentucky will have a leader in the receiving room.

Despite being a 1,000-yard receiver at North Texas, Maclin was not targeted often. However, on his 13 receptions, he caught four for touchdowns, the most of any receiver on the team.

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Kentucky Player Seen At Concession Stand During Kentucky’s 41-14 Loss to Louisville

Published

3 weeks ago

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December 2, 2024

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A Kentucky football player was seen at buying food from the concession stand in Kentucky's 41-14 loss to Louisville.

Kentucky’s on-field product against Louisville was poor to say the least, sending 99% of Wildcat fans home early. It even sent an injured player from the sideline to get a snack…

Yes, offensive lineman Gerald Mincey, one of Kentucky’s most expensive transfer portal additions, was seen at one of the concession stands at Kroger Field during Kentucky’s 41-14 defeat.

Watching a 4-8 team is bad, but even worse to do on an empty stomach.

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Mincey is a senior and will not be returning next season, but it is nice to see him reinvesting some money back into the program.

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