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Pete ThamelESPN
NC State quarterback Devin Leary intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal, a source told ESPN.
Leary will have one year of eligibility remaining after spending five years at NC State. His production over the past four seasons — 6,807 yards and 62 touchdowns — will make him one of the most productive quarterbacks available in the portal.
Leary’s 2022 season was cut short when he tore his right (throwing) pec against Florida State on Oct. 8. A source told ESPN that Leary is expected to be cleared to throw by early March, if not sooner, meaning it’s possible he could be ready for spring football at his new school.
Leary broke out in 2021 as one of the country’s top quarterbacks, throwing 35 touchdown passes with just five interceptions and besting Philip Rivers’ single-season TD passing record (34) with the Wolfpack.
Leary’s 62 career touchdown passes puts him fourth in school history behind only Rivers, Russell Wilson and Mike Glennon. For his career, Leary has completed 60.2% of his passes.
Leary redshirted in 2018, and in 2019, he became the first freshman to start for the Wolfpack since Wilson in 2010.
He led NC State to a 9-3 record in 2021, which included an upset of Clemson. Leary helped push the Wolfpack out to a 5-1 start this year and had 11 touchdowns and four interceptions before the injury.
Leary’s defining skill is his arm strength. This past summer, NC State quality control coach Kriss Proctor colorfully described Leary’s passes as “piss missiles.” Leary was recruited to NC State by former offensive coordinator Eliah Drinkwitz, now the coach at Missouri, who told ESPN this summer that Leary has “Josh Allen arm talent.”
The news about Leary came the day after offensive coordinator Tim Beck departed Raleigh for the head-coaching job at Coastal Carolina.
Leary is the fourth veteran ACC quarterback with a bevy of production to enter the portal or announce his portal intentions, joining Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong, Boston College’s Phil Jurkovec and Georgia Tech’s Jeff Sims.