SEC QB named one of the top 'sleepers' for 2024 NFL Draft

Devin Leary's transfer to Kentucky flew under the radar among all of the player movement in college football this offseason but could be huge for his 2024 NFL Draft stock.

ESPN's Todd McShay revealed a list of 10 "sleepers" in next year's draft, players who haven't received the attention of players like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Brock Bowers but with a big season could skyrocket up draft boards, and Leary was the one quarterback to make the list.

Leary played in 30 games for the North Carolina State Wolfpack and had his best season in 2021. He played in 12 games that year and went 283-of-431 (65.7 percent) for 3,433 yards, 35 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Last year, he started six games before a pectoral injury against Florida State on Oct. 8 forced him to miss the rest of the regular season.

He could be the second consecutive Kentucky QB to receive significant draft buzz. This past season, Will Levis flirted with being a first-round pick before falling to the second round (33rd overall) and the Tennessee Titans.

Leary has the benefit of working alongside offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who was with the team in 2021 when Levis became a trendy first-round pick but joined the NFL's Los Angeles Rams in 2022. On Jan. 10, 2023, he agreed to return to Kentucky as the team's OC and QB coach.

In March 2023, Coen gushed about Leary, praising his accuracy: "He really prides himself on taking care of the football, slightly moving in the pocket and finding his outlets... He does a nice job of playing on schedule, playing on time. He understands the rhythm, he understands the pocket."

Leary's talent is clear to those around the program but a mystery to the college football world at large. He could open a lot of eyes this season.