Stop us if you’ve heard it before, but Kentucky’s next starting QB is a transfer. Given the recent starters at the position — Will Levis, Terry Wilson, briefly Sawyer Smith, Stephen Johnson — it’s a song that has many verses. But in 2022, the Wildcats, rather than dig into high school recruiting at the QB position, went all in on the transfer portal. The ensuing find: NC State transfer Devin Leary, widely regarded as the top QB prospect available in the portal.

Part of Kentucky’s transfer solution at QB has been bad luck in high school QB recruiting. The Wildcats got early commitments from Jarren Williams and Mac Jones, only to watch each decommit and then move along to a more tradition-rich program closer to National Signing Day. In 2021, in-state QB prospect Gavin Wimsatt elected to go to Rutgers. While Kentucky does have pair of scholarship QBs on the roster — in-state sophomore Keiya Sheron and true freshman Destin Wade — the Wildcats have put most of their eggs in the transfer basket.

Most recently, going all in on transfers paid off with Levis. Levis led Kentucky to a 17-7 record as a starter, passing for 5,232 yards and 43 touchdowns in his 2 seasons at UK after being a run-specialist QB at Penn State earlier in his college career.

Levis has impressed onlookers and is widely expected to be a 1st-round NFL Draft selection, and despite playing through significant injuries in 2022, he developed impressive chemistry with freshman receivers Barion Brown and Dane Key.

Those receivers, by the way, no doubt helped land Leary.

Leary is much closer to a finished product than Levis was when he chose the Wildcats. In his time at NC State, Leary has passed for 6,807 yards and 62 touchdowns (against just 16 interceptions). Leary was especially impressive in 2021, when he threw for 3,433 yards and a Wolfpack-record 35 scores. He missed roughly half of the 2022 season with at torn pectoral muscle he sustained in the game against Florida State. NC State was 5-1 with Leary starting, but went 3-3 without him. Leary has now elected to cast his lot with the Wildcats, while 2020 offensive coordinator Liam Coen is all but certain to return.

It’s not especially surprising to see the Wildcats turn to the portal for a QB standout. Stoops and his staff have benefitted from other portal additions aside from Levis. From former Nebraska WR Wan’Dale Robinson to Ole Miss imports Jacquez Jones and Keidron Smith, Kentucky has had plenty of recent success plugging veteran players into openings for potential playing time. The Wildcats have added several other potential immediate impact players, including likely starting running back Ray Davis.

Of course, Leary will be a one-and-done, as he has already played in 4 collegiate seasons, in addition to a redshirt year. He was a 4-star recruit in 2017. Kentucky as yet has not added any other quarterbacks to the 2023 signing class. Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz was linked to the Wildcats, but soon after Leary’s announcement, Mertz reportedly switched to Florida.

Advantage, Kentucky.

The good news for the Wildcats is that the portal has likely yielded another QB star. The bad news is that a year from now, the Wildcats may have to repeat the process all over again.

That said, Stoops and the Wildcats have their guy. Kentucky strikes the portal once again, and the results promise to be entertaining.