How QB Guru Malcolm Bell helped prepare Devin Leary for 2020

With college football practices ended abruptly back in the spring and no individual workouts through most of the summer, players had to find other ways to get instruction this offseason. Whether it was through ZOOM, taping workouts and sending it to strength & conditioning coaches or having a personal trainer, NC State players have found ways to get the job done.

One way Devin Leary has kept himself sharp is through sessions with Undefeated Quarterback Training consultant Malcolm Bell. Heading into a year where Leary has already been named the starter by Dave Doeren and he has a new offensive coordinator in Tim Beck, Leary sought out Bell to help refine his game prior to his redshirt sophomore season.

"One of the biggest things I've taken away from working with Devin is just how smart he is as a player," Bell said. "His attention to detail and willingness to get better and improve really stood out to me. He also has all the physical tools you're looking for in a quarterback. To be honest, he has one of the tightest spirals I've seen since I've been working with quarterbacks.

"His arm strength is there and he has great footwork in the pocket. He possesses all the qualities of a top quarterback. ... He's been working hard this offseason to put it all together and prove that at NC State."

Bell is based out of Richmond, Va., but made a career in the Triangle as one of the most accomplished NC Central quarterbacks in program history. The former Eagles QB finished with a record of 24-10, three MEAC Championships with 7,844 total yards and 62 total touchdowns before playing in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Since 2017, Malcolm has helped shift the narrative on QB play, not only his hometown but in the entire state of Virginia, with the proper technique and developmental practices being taught to every one of his many clients. Bell is a nationally-known Quarterback Consultant as he has trained and developed some of the top quarterbacks in the nation at every level.

Though he works with quarterbacks at every level, Bell said the biggest thing for Leary wasn't changing his game -- it was just about cleaning up his mechanics.

"At a certain point, your motion is your motion," Bell explained, "We were just working on cleaning up the sequence. I was working on him getting the right whip on his throw at the finish, getting his hip drive right, just fine-tuning his motion, really. ... The main focus for him was his motion, feet and sequence to make sure everything was tied together."

Last season, Leary finished with 1,142 passing yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions in the final six games of the season. Despite the fact that the Pack lost all six games, Leary showed growth as a passer and leader, but finished the year with an abysmal game against UNC, going 7-of-20 passing for 98 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

This year is different for Leary -- and the rest of the offense -- with Tim Beck hired as the offensive coordinator. Beck has a long history of grooming quarterbacks like Sam Ehlinger, Cardale Jones, J.T. Barrett, Taylor Martinez and Todd Reesing, so the hope for Pack fans is that Beck can find similar success with Leary under center.

Despite only having a limited amount of time to work with Beck in the spring, Bell said Leary was confident that he could run the offense and "excited" to get back to work this fall. After getting a chance to work with Leary throughout the summer, Bell is equally excited to see Leary get back on the field and prove himself.

"Watching [Tim] Beck's offense and seeing the programs he's come from, I think it will be awesome for Devin to fit into that offense," Bell said. "He mentioned to me multiple times that he felt like he had a grasp of the offense and was confident in his ability to run it, he just needed to simplify things.

"When you're confident as a quarterback, you can do great things. Whether it's in the air or with his feet, I think he's going to make stuff happen this year in this system with the confidence he has going into the year."