South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Plumlee to juggle his passions
Returning for ’23 season, QB will play baseball first
When John Rhys Plumlee transferred to UCF earlier this year, he made it clear he wanted to continue to play baseball and football like he did at Ole Miss.
Although he was able to practice with the baseball team, Plumlee was denied a waiver to play baseball last season.
Instead, he went through spring football with Gus Malzahn and the Knights football program.
After earning the starting quarterback job in the preseason and leading UCF to a spot in the AAC championship, Plumlee recently announced he’s returning for his final year of eligibility to guide the Knights in their first season in the Big 12 Conference.
Before then, however, he’s aims to return to the baseball diamond and play this time.
“Getting to play baseball, I’m excited about it but definitely pumped up about the upcoming football season as well,” he said.
A dual-threat quarterback, Plumlee led the Knights with 2,404 passing yards and 841 rushing yards. He scored 25 total touchdowns (14 pass, 11 rush) while completing 63% of his passes and averaging 5.8 yards per rush.
He battled multiple injuries throughout the season, including with his hamstring down the stretch.
Plumlee sat out after halftime in the regular-season finale against USF after running for 133 yards and two touchdowns.
In a rematch with Tulane in the AAC title game, he fought through the hamstring injury. He left the game in the second quarter but returned later in the game to spark a comeback.
UCF fell short in its effort to win its fifth AAC championship, and Plumlee could barely run.
“After that last one, I got beat up a little bit but that’s football this time of the year,” he said.
Malzahn let his players take a well-earned break that lasted nearly two weeks before returning to the practice field ahead of the Military Bowl vs. Duke on Wednesday in Annapolis, Maryland.
Plumlee badly needed the rest. “I’m feeling a lot better,” he said. “The week-and-a-half off was huge for getting some nicks and bruises healed up. Obviously, the hamstring is getting better as well. I’m still taking it day by day but I’m definitely getting better.”
He explained his decision to return for the 2023 football season.
“One of my goals in coming here at UCF was to play football and baseball at the highest level, and I have the opportunity to do that,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the spring, baseball season is right around the corner.
“Ultimately I wanted to play football or baseball at the highest level, whether it’s the NFL or MLB,” he added. “The best opportunity for me to do so would be to come back another year.”
Because he didn’t receive a waiver ahead of last baseball season, the quarterback who also plays outfield hasn’t played in a live baseball game since 2021 at
Ole Miss.
He appeared in 47 games that season, making 18 starts while batting .267 with 4 doubles, a home run and 7 RBI.
Plumlee admitted it will take time to get back into a groove when he steps back in the batter’s box.
“I didn’t get to play baseball last year then I’ve been in the football so it’s been a while since I’ve seen some live arms,” he said. “There’s definitely going to have to be some rust that’s knocked off the swing.”
Although Plumlee has played baseball and football in the same year before, it’s no easy task.
He hasn’t figured out his entire plan yet for the spring.
How much will he participate in spring football? That’s to be determined.
“Obviously [when] baseball season rolls around, I’m a baseball player but in the same sense, I want to be getting better and progressing as a quarterback as well,” he said. “It’s going to be a little bit of a juggling act but I can definitely do it.”