Who will be the UCF football starting QB in 2023? Exploring the battle between John Rhys Plumlee, Xavier Williams, and more

Gus Malzahn, who led Auburn to an SEC championship and a national championship final appearance, is now prepping for the UCF Knights. He joined the team as their head coach in 2021.

As they gear up for the new campaign, it is interesting to see who will be the starting QB of UCF football.

The Knights agreed to join the Big 12 back in 2021. But they were contractually bound to the AAC till 2024. However, 2022 was their last season with AAC, and they will compete in the Big 12 this year.

Let's go ahead and look at the QB depth chart for UCF ahead of their 2023 campaign.

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What does the QB depth chart look like for UCF football in 2023?

They currently have John Rhys Plumlee, Timmy McClain, Xavier Williams, and true freshman Dylan Rizk as options in the quarterback department. Plumee has the most experience as he is entering his fifth season. Being a veteran, he knows the playbook of Gus Malzahn.

Apart from him, Timmy McClain, who was a starter for the USF Bulls in 2021, is the next QB on the list. Then there is Xavier Williams, who recently joined the team after spending two seasons with the Charlotte 49ers in the AAC. He played six games for the team in 2022, racking up 420 passing yards with 2 TDs and completing 34 out of 67 passes.

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John Rhys Plumlee's stats and records

Before transferring to UCF last year, Plumlee played for Ole Miss from 2019 to 2021. During his stint in Ole Miss, he was the preferred backup to Matt Corral. He juggled his role in the next two years, playing as both a backup QB and a wide receiver. He also played baseball for the Rebels as a freshman.

John Rhys Plumlee UCF Knights

Last year, he decided to transfer to UCF and was named as the starting QB for their 2022 campaign. He finished his debut season with 2,586 yards and 14 TDs, along with 8 INTs.

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Who was the starting QB for UCF Football in the last five years?

Before John Rhys Plumlee took over the starting QB job, Mikey Keene was the starting QB in 2021. During his two-year stint, Keene accumulated 2,377 yards and 23 TDs.

In 2020 and 2019, Dillon Gabriel was the starter. After the pandemic in 2020, he once again secured the starting spot after Darriel Mack Jr. was out due to sickness and later transferred during the NCAA transfer portal. Gabriel then went on to join the Oklahoma Sooners in 2022.

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Who will be the UCF football starting QB in 2023?

At the moment, John Rhys Plumlee is the undisputed starter for the team. He already has experience starting under their head coach, which gives him an advantage over the other quarterback.

Thomas Castellanos was the preferred backup choice before he announced his exit from the team in the transfer portal. This allowed Xavier Williams and Timmy McClain to be named the backup.

Williams has limited experience over McClain in playing time, so it will be a deciding factor when Malzahn announces his backup quarterback options. Although Dylan Rizk is also in the mix, not much will be expected from the true freshman in 2023.

The UCF Knights play Kent State on August 31 in their season opener at the FBC Mortgage Stadium, Florida.