These QBs in transfer portal could make sense as Will Levis replacements for Kentucky
While Kentucky football fans wait to learn if Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen is definitely returning to Lexington, the Wildcats’ search for a quarterback remains ongoing.
While one would assume Mark Stoops needed to hire his new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach — whether it be Coen or someone else — before turning his full attention to the hunt for a transfer quarterback to replace Will Levis, the timing of the transfer portal window opening allows him little time for patience.
“I don’t feel any heat or pressure, if you will, from any outside source,” UK Coach Mark Stoops said last week. “Whether it be a recruit, a current player, a media member, a fan, the loudest person on Twitter — does not affect me. I want to do what’s right. Doesn’t mean I’m perfect, I don’t think I’ve got it all figured out, but I need to do it the way I’m comfortable with and the way it’s been successful for me.
“Let me get the best person I can at the right time. Let me continue to work through it. I can promise you I’m not laying around.”
Stoops took issue with the public speculation about who Kentucky’s next offensive coordinator and quarterback will be while acknowledging that discourse is “part of the gig.”
That plea for patience has done little to slow the talk of who might lead Kentucky’s offense — on and off the field — next season. Kentucky’s search for a transfer quarterback might not be limited to only players currently in the portal as others are likely to enter after bowl games and when the spring transfer window opens in May, but there are already several appealing options on the table.
Here is a look at three quarterbacks currently in the portal who could make sense for Kentucky.
Graham Mertz (Wisconsin)
Much of the early speculation about Kentucky’s next quarterback has been pointed at Mertz, but the recruitment is apparently not finished as he visited Florida over the weekend. Mertz is among the most-experienced options in the portal after starting 32 games across four seasons at Wisconsin. A former four-star recruit, Mertz has thrown for 5,405 yards in his career.
While Mertz has the type of arm talent that would make him an obvious quarterback of interest for a coordinator with an NFL background like Coen, his departure from Wisconsin was not exactly met with disappointment from Badgers fans. Mertz completed just 57.3% of his passes this season and has thrown 22 interceptions with 29 touchdowns over the last two seasons.
Devin Leary (N.C. State)
One of five finalists for the 2021 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which goes to college football’s best quarterback, Leary played in just six games this fall before suffering a season-ending torn pectoral muscle in October. A year ago, Leary broke Phillip Rivers’ North Carolina State single-season record with 35 passing touchdowns. He has thrown for 6,807 yards and 62 touchdowns in four years at N.C. State.
The big question for Leary is health. At 100%, he could help almost any team in the country. But what if the pectoral injury affects his throwing ability moving forward? Leary will surely have plenty of suitors in the portal, but if Coen is confirmed as Kentucky’s offensive coordinator his NFL experience could be a major selling point for a player surely looking to work his way into the 2024 draft.
DJ Uiagalelei (Clemson)
Had Rich Scangarello kept his job as Kentucky quarterback, Uiagalelei was expected to be a top target for Kentucky this offseason. Scangarello had previously worked with the former Clemson starter, and many pundits predicted Uiagalelei would eventually enter the portal with Clemson making a quarterback change late in the season. Where Uiagalelei ranks on Kentucky’s priority list with a new coordinator is unclear, but he still has the physical gifts that made him a top-five recruit in the high school class of 2020.
In three years at Clemson, Uiagalelei completed 60% of his passes for 5,681 yards, 36 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He lost his starting job to five-star freshman Cade Klubnik, but Uiagalelei would still be an upgrade for most schools, including Kentucky. He represents a dual-threat option with 913 career rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns.
This story was originally published December 12, 2022 at 6:30 AM.