Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee out 'for a few weeks.' Timmy McClain to start for UCF

ORLANDO — UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee will miss a "few weeks" due to a leg injury suffered on the final drive of the Knights' 18-16 win over Boise State, coach Gus Malzahn said during his weekly press conference Monday.

Redshirt sophomore Timmy McClain, who guided UCF to a pair of fourth-quarter scoring drives in its Week 1 dismantling of Kent State, will take over as the team's starting quarterback. The Knights conclude nonconference play at 6:30 p.m. Saturday against Villanova before a difficult road trip to No. 15 Kansas State for the team's first Big 12 contest.

Plumlee buckled awkwardly near the sideline after taking a vicious hit to the helmet from Boise State safety Alexander Teubner. He remained in the game, handing the ball twice to Johnny Richardson to bleed the clock and set up Colton Boomer for the decisive 40-yard field goal as time expired.

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Malzahn said the injury will not require surgery, adding, "We're confident he will return."

Named to preseason watch lists for both the Davey O'Brien Award (best quarterback in college football) and the Maxwell Award (most outstanding player in college football), Plumlee turned in one of his better performances for UCF on Saturday. He completed 16 of 24 passes for 272 yards and two unlucky interceptions off the hands of his receivers.

In a social media post Monday, Plumlee tweeted, "God has a plan! My God is a healer! I will be back!! I am blessed!"

The fifth-year senior from Hattiesburg, Miss., has thrown for 553 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions through UCF's first two games. He also leads the team in rushing with 163 yards and one touchdown on 19 attempts.

Plumlee has suited up for 15 of UCF's 16 games since arriving from Ole Miss in 2022, but this is his fourth injury in that time span. Last season, he sustained a concussion before halftime against Cincinnati (Oct. 29), exited with shoulder soreness against Navy (Nov. 19) and pulled a hamstring on a touchdown run at South Florida (Nov. 26).

He also made 58 starts in center field for the Knights' baseball team during the spring.

McClain, a four-year starter in high school, led nearby Seminole to the FHSAA's Class 8A championship as a senior in 2020 and then signed a letter of intent with South Florida that December. He appeared in 11 games for the Bulls as a true freshman, including nine starts, but entered the transfer portal last August when supplanted as starter by Baylor transfer Gerry Bohanon.

"Timmy's a guy that we think very highly of," Malzahn said. "He's had a really good fall camp. In practice, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, he's gotten nearly equal reps to John Rhys. We've got a lot of confidence in him, a guy that started football games as a true freshman."

Ineligible for the 2022 season after transferring after the portal window closed, McClain entered the spring third on the depth chart but moved up when Thomas Castellanos departed for Boston College.

McClain totaled 1,888 passing yards at a 55.3% completion rate for South Florida, tossing five touchdowns against seven interceptions. He ran 123 times for an additional 238 yards and four scores, and posted a 2-7 record as a starter.

Offensive coordinator Darin Hinshaw said McClain gained experience running with the starters in scrimmages this fall, and made strides to secure the QB2 role.

"In his past, he's ad-libbed a lot, and he did that when he first got here in the spring," Hinshaw said. "He has really done a good job this fall camp of running through the details of playing quarterback. We've been hard on him about that. You got to see him play some against Kent State, and he has improved tremendously.

"I tell him that he's one snap away. His practice habits, his work ethic off the field, asking questions, dialed in to meetings and doing everything to go play, he's done a great job. … I am excited about where he is."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee injured, Timmy McClain named starter