Two Kentucky senior football players, quarterback Devin Leary and wide receiver Tayvion Robinson, have been selected to play in the prestigious East-West Shrine Bowl. The game is scheduled to take place on Thursday, February 1st at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas and will be televised on the NFL Network at 8 p.m. ET. Both Leary and Robinson will represent the East team, which will be coached by Richard Hightower of the Chicago Bears.
Leary, hailing from Sicklerville, New Jersey, transferred to Kentucky in January 2023 after spending four seasons at NC State. During his time at NC State, Leary had a successful tenure as a starting quarterback, finishing with a record of 17-9. He left the Wolfpack as the sixth-leading passer in school history, with 6,807 career passing yards, and fourth in career completion percentage, with .602.
In 2022, Leary led the Wolfpack to a strong start to the season, boasting a 5-1 record and a spot in the national rankings. Unfortunately, his season was cut short when he suffered a tear in his right pectoralis major. After undergoing surgery and nearly a year of recovery, Leary returned to the field for Kentucky in 2023. He had an impressive season, throwing for 2,746 yards and 25 touchdowns, which ranked second in the SEC. These stats helped the Wildcats secure their school-record eighth consecutive bowl bid.
Leary’s collegiate career concluded with a total of 9,553 passing yards and 87 touchdowns. Off the field, he also earned a degree in sport management from NC State in December 2022.
Robinson, a native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, transferred to Kentucky from Virginia Tech. In his two seasons with the Wildcats, he recorded 1,049 receiving yards, earning him a spot as the 33rd leading receiver in program history. Over his career, Robinson had 194 receptions for 2,604 yards and a total of 15 touchdowns, including 14 receiving touchdowns and one punt return for a score. He also returned 67 punts for 639 yards.
During the 2023 season, Robinson ranked second on the team in receiving yards with 552 and third in receptions with 41. Outside of football, Robinson earned a degree in community and leadership development from Kentucky in December 2023.
The East-West Shrine Bowl is the oldest college all-star football game in the country, and Kentucky has a strong tradition of participation, with 40 Wildcats accepting invitations since 1954, including 12 during head coach Mark Stoops’ tenure. Leary and Robinson join an exclusive group of Kentucky players to have participated in the event, including Darrian Miller, Za’Darius Smith, C.J. Johnson, Derrick Baity, C.J. Conrad, “Bunchy” Stallings, Brandin Echols, Landon Young, Marquan McCall, and Luke Fortner.
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