Former Rebel John Rhys Plumlee Excels During First UCF Start

Former Ole Miss signal caller John Rhys Plumlee accounts for over 400 yards of offense.

Now that he’s back playing quarterback once again, former Ole Miss Rebel quarterback and wide receiver John Rhys Plumlee is showing his all-around skills at UCF.

During Plumlee’s first start against South Carolina State, and back at quarterback, he rushed 15 times for 86 yards, a 5.7 average, and a touchdown. When throwing the football, Plumlee was even more dynamic.

20 of 31, 64.5%, 308 yards and four touchdown passes. Plumlee's ability to stretch the field was a major reason that UCF was balanced as an offense.

Big plays: With 11:10 remaining in the first quarter, Plumlee connected with Alabama transfer wide receiver Javon Baker for a 12-yard touchdown pass to put the Knights up 7-0. During the drive, Plumlee also had a run for 28 yards.

With 7:17 to go in the first quarter, Plumlee hit tight end Kemore Gamble for a 30-yard touchdown.

The third touchdown for Plumlee came with 3:10 in the first quarter, a 17-yard touchdown run that saw him break tackles to reach the end zone. During the drive, he connected on a deep ball to wide receiver Ryan O'Keefe that went for 45 yards.

Speedy running back Johnny Richardson found the end zone himself after catching a short Plumlee pass, with this one coming from 18 yards out with 5:32 remaining in the third quarter.

Plumlee's final touchdown of the evening was a 21-yard strike to tight end Zach Marsh-Wojan. Much of what Plumlee is showing for UCF came in glimpses while he played in Oxford.

Plumlee was a freshman for Ole Miss in 2019 when he rushed for 1,023 yards and 12 touchdowns, plus passing for 910 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.

During his sophomore and junior seasons, however, Plumlee was playing wide receiver. He caught 25 passes for 280 yards during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and decided it was time to move on from Ole Miss and pursue his passion of playing quarterback once again.

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