UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee suffered a knee injury in Week 2 against the Boise State Broncos. The Knights won their first two games with Plumlee under center but have struggled without their senior passer since then.
With No. 6 Oklahoma next on UCF’s schedule, we have the latest injury news on Plumlee. Will he start against the Sooners?
Latest John Rhys Plumlee Injury News
Plumlee will return to the field against Oklahoma on Saturday after being sidelined for the last four games due to a leg injury. The team has not beaten any FBS opponent since Plumlee’s injury on Sept. 9.
Coach Gus Malzahn told reporters earlier this week that Plumlee was close to 100% after the Knights’ bye week.
Plumlee’s knee injury during UCF’s 18-16 victory against Boise State caused him to be inactive in the Knights’ subsequent losses to Kansas State and Baylor as they began their Big 12 tenure. He did start in a 51-22 loss to Kansas but was visibly injured and taken out in the first quarter.
Oklahoma has one of the best defenses in college football, allowing only 14 points per game – tied for seventh place nationally alongside Georgia. The Sooners’ current starting quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, is Plumlee’s predecessor.
DraftKings predicts that the Knights will be 19-point underdogs when they play in Norman, Oklahoma.
The beginning of Big 12 games has been a source of embarrassment for the Knights. In their first home game against Baylor, they let slip a 28-point lead, which is still Baylor’s only FBS win.
Additionally, UCF lost two games by a total of 42 points against Kansas and Kansas State. Currently, only Cincinnati shares the same number of conference wins as UCF, which is zero.
Plumlee has been outstanding for the Knights since transferring to UCF before the 2022 season. He completed 63% of his passes for 2,586 yards and also rushed for 862 yards on 5.4 yards per carry, which is a remarkable statistic. In addition, he accumulated a total of 25 touchdowns in 13 games played last season.
Although he has shown promise as a quarterback, Plumlee’s ability to pass against Power Five competition — and therefore his NFL projection — is questionable. During his single year with significant playing time at Ole Miss, he only completed 52.7% of his passes.
MORE: 2024 NFL Draft Big Board
Furthermore, in three games against power-conference opponents in 2022, he completed just 53.5% of his passes and averaged only 4.3 yards per attempt.
Although Plumlee’s comeback is expected to boost the team’s performance, the challenges faced by the Knights go beyond their struggles in offense. In conference play, UCF has the worst record in the Big 12, allowing an average of 43.7 points per game and 490.7 yards on average — only slightly better than Houston.
John Rhys Plumlee Scouting Report
Strengths
- Dangerous runner who has totaled at least 154 rushing attempts, 862 yards, and 11 touchdowns in his two seasons as a starter.
- Effective passer on the move, showing good accuracy even when his base is not aligned or he’s hurried to make a throw. Can also roll out to his weak side with comfort.
- Solid passer on short attempts, peppering defenses with rhythmic, accurate tosses that keep the offense on time.
- Has good arm strength that allows him to beat closing passing windows.
- Reliable RPO operator thanks to his experience and consistency reading key defender.
- Tough competitor who bounces back up from hits.
- Avoided turnover-worthy plays better in 2022 as he gained more experience.
Weaknesses
- Smaller build at just 6’0″, 200 pounds, does not help his durability projection.
- Had a long windup motion that starts by his hip, slowing his ability to release the ball. This needs to be overhauled.
- Accuracy gets compromised on deeper throws because of his elongated arm motion.
- He shows panic in a busy pocket and will rush his reads and throws too often.
- Has only been in an RPO-based offense, leading to questions of his ability to process pre- and post-snap coverage and blitz looks that the NFL features.
- His average yards per attempt has been low throughout his career. He’ll have to be more aggressive chasing intermediate and deeper passes to threaten defenses.
