Who will be the Kentucky Wildcats starting QB in 2023? A sneak peak into the loaded QB depth chart ft. Devin Leary, Kaiya Sheron, and more
Coach Mark Stoops has a void to fill in the quarterback room following Kentucky Wildcats starting QB for the last two years, Will Levis' departure. Levis was picked in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
The Wildcats went 7-6 in 2022, and Stoops will now look to make his mark in the SEC East once again. They had quite the trouble in their offensive department, averaging only 20.4 points per game. This led to Rich Scangarello being fired as the offensive coordinator, with Liam Coen returning as OC after his 2021 stint in the same role for the Wildcats.
Given the way the offseason has played out, here is what the quarterback depth chart looks like for Kentucky in 2023.
Who have the Kentucky Wildcats brought in as Will Levis' replacement?
After Levis left for the NFL, the Wildcats had a massive transfer during the offseason. They brought in the experienced North Carolina State Wolfpack QB Devin Leary as his replacement.
Apart from him, they've also got Kaiya Sheron, who played backup to Levis in 2022. He committed to playing for the Wildcats back in 2020 as a three-star prospect. Last season, he was given some time on the field, where he recorded 187 passing yards and completed 17 passes out of 29 with two TDs.
Deuce Hogan is also in the mix, with the backup quarterback transfer from Iowa joining the Wildcats in 2022.
The class of 2022 also gives Stoops the option of Destin Wade, a four-star recruit who committed to the Wildcats back in 2021 along with his brother, Keaten Wade.
Devin Leary: Stats and records
Leary has been a highly-touted quarterback since his NC State days. After beginning his college football journey as a backup, Leary quickly climbed the ranks and started the final five games of 2019.
In those five games, he racked up 1,219 yards, eight touchdowns against five interceptions. He went on to play 30 games for the Wolfpack in four seasons with 6,807 passing yards and 62 TDs.
However, after suffering from a pectoral muscle injury, Leary underwent surgery. This led to him missing out on a vast majority of the 2022 season, before transferring to Kentucky.
Which quarterback's playing style is the best with the offensive playbook?
When Coen was with the team in 2021, he built it into one of the top attacks in the SEC. His pro-offensive style scheme led the Wildcats to the Citrus Bowl victory in 2021, with Will Levis leading the team on the field as the signal-caller. Now, given the experience of Leary, he is the most suited candidate to cohesively fit in Coen's playbook.
Who have been the Wildcats' starting quarterback in the last 5 years?
In 2021 and 2022, Will Levis was the Kentucky Wildcats starting QB. He racked up 5,233 passing yards and 43 touchdowns with the team. Prior to him, Terry Wilson was the Kentucky Wildcats starting QB from 2018-2020. Wilson led the team to their first ten-win season in 2018 since 1977.
One interesting factor to note down is that the last two starting quarterbacks initially started college in another place. Wilson was a junior college transfer, and Levis also transferred from Penn State. And now, the Wildcats have Devin Leary from North Carolina.
Who will the Kentucky Wildcats start at QB in 2023?
At the moment, Devin Leary is leading the race to be the preferred choice for coach Mark Stoops as the QB1. He's got experience on the gridiron and knows how to weave his way around the ball on the field, given his statistics and records from NC State.
He was the most sought-after player in the transfer portal. So Stoop must give pretty good reasons to justify his decision if Leary doesn't start for the Wildcats. The only question that remains is avoiding him from being injured once again.