New play-caller Hinshaw to impact offense, passing game
By the time Darin Hinshaw completed his college football career at UCF in 1994, the former Knights quarterback totaled 9,000 passing yards across four years.
UCF’s next quarterback — Daunte Culpepper (’95-98) — broke Hinshaw’s program career passing record by throwing for 11,412 yards.
When Hinshaw served as UCF’s quarterback coach for one season in 2000, he helped guide a young Ryan Schneider, who went on to throw for 10,976 yards during his career (‘00-03).
“Those were back-to-back-toback,” Hinshaw said about the passing numbers for himself, Culpepper and Schneider. “That’s pretty impressive as far as what we did offensively throwing the football.
No UCF quarterback has reached at least 9,000 career passing yards since Schneider. The closest was McKenzie Milton (2016-18), who totaled 8,683 during his time in Orlando.
Hinshaw, who was introduced this past week as the Knights’ new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, is hoping to make his mark on UCF’s offense as the new play-caller by stretching the field vertically in the passing game.
It’s something UCF coach Gus Malzahn is looking forward to watching.
“It’s going to be him calling the plays and running the offense,” Malzahn said. “Obviously build upon the strengths we have, but we’ve got to open this thing up. I want Darin to bring his fresh and new ideas.
“What I liked is when he talks about [throwing] vertically down the field. That gets me excited. That will get our fans excited. I know our players will be excited. That’s what we need and that’s what he’s going to bring.”
It’s what Hinshaw brings to UCF’s offensive scheme because it’s what he did best as a player.
“I like to throw the football,” he said. “That’s part of who I am. But I’ve also learned in this process to run the football, and it’s a must. You’ve got to be great at it.”
UCF’s starting quarterback this past season, John Rhys Plumlee, can do both. The senior quarterback who recently announced he’s returning for the 2023 season threw for 2,586 yards and 14 touchdowns while recording 862 yards on the ground with 11 rushing scores.
While he was effective in throwing and running the ball, Plumlee struggled to take care of it, tossing 8 interceptions and fumbling 11 times.
Regardless of how the year went for Plumlee and the rest of the UCF quarterbacks, all of whom Hinshaw spoke with on the phone before being introduced, the Knights coordinator won’t be making decisions about the position based on the past.
“The bottom line is this — and I do this every year, everywhere I’ve been — it’s a clean slate,” Hinshaw said. “Everybody has an opportunity to go be the starting quarterback and that’s the truth. I’ve done that every year.”
As it stands, UCF will have three quarterbacks on scholarship for the spring: Plumlee, freshman Thomas Castellanos and USF transfer Timmy McClain, who arrived in August but had to sit out the season due to NCAA transfer rules. They’ll be joined by UCF 2023 signee Dylan Rizk, who arrives over the summer.
Hinshaw explained why he believes in giving the UCF quarterbacks a fresh start.
“The reason is you want competition in the room,” he said “You don’t set the depth chart before anybody does anything.
“I learned that as a player,” he added. “When I played here, every year they brought in a guy to take my job. It made me better. The biggest thing you want in that room is competition, and it makes the room better.”
It’s possible that UCF could bring in a transfer quarterback this off-season, too.
“I’m going to let Darin evaluate everything,” Malzahn said when asked about the possibility. “I know he’s excited and I’m excited about working with these guys in the spring and we’ll see what happens.”
While competition is healthy, Hinshaw wants his quarterbacks to support one another as well.
“We’re going to cheer for each other when we’re on the field and care for each other,” he said. “We’re going to have fun in that room and have fun in our offensive room. When I say fun, I want them to be excited to come into that room.”
UCF transfer portal updates at OrlandoSentinel.com/Sports