Who will be Kentucky’s starting QB for the Gator Bowl? Exploring Tigers’ QB Depth chart ahead of Clemson matchup

24-year-old Devin Leary will be making his first bowl career start with the Kentucky Wildcats. Despite having qualified for bowls before, the former NC State quarterback missed them due to injuries. In this, his sole year with the Wildcats, he led them to a 7-5 record that got them an invitation to the Gator Bowl against Clemson.

The Wildcat's season was highlighted by a victory over Florida on September 30, when running back Re'Mahn Davis ran a record-breaking 280 yards, with three touchdowns in 26 carries. What could've been a season that ended with them ranked, was stained with back-to-back losses to Missouri and Tennessee in Weeks 7 and 8. They did close out their year with an upset over the No. 16 Louisville Cardinals 38-31 (No. 9 at the time).

The Wildcats come in as 4.5 underdogs to this game against Clemson. The game will be played on Friday, December 29, at noon Eastern time.

Who will be Kentucky's QB for the Gator Bowl?

The Wildcats will be led by Devin Leary, a senior who transferred from NC State to play his final season in the SEC. In 2023 Leary threw for 2440 yards, with 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, for a QBR of 62.2 which ranked 60th in the nation. He had a completion percentage of 56.3%. He wasn't much of a dual-threat QB, with him recording -55 yards and only one rushing touchdown.

Those numbers are a far cry from his best year, 2021, when recorded 3433 passing yards, with 35 touchdowns and five interceptions. He had a much higher completion percentage of 65.7%. That's almost ten percentage points more!

Kentucky Wildcat's QB depth chart

• Devin Leary- Senior TR
• Kaiya Sheron- Sophomore R

Gator Bowl odds

• Spread: Clemson (-4.5)
• Moneyline: Clemson (-185); Kentucky (+150)
• Over/under: 44.5.