Brandon Wimbush is transferring to UCF without a guarantee he’ll be the starter, and what does this move mean for the future of McKenzie Milton?
Early in the second quarter of their annual rivalry game against USF, UCF was looking to extend their nearly two-year win streak. Up 7-0 in a highly competitive game, star quarterback McKenzie Milton suffered a devastating injury to his right leg. Milton had been at the forefront of UCF’s 2017 undefeated campaign and losing him for the rest of the year, and potentially 2019, was promised to be devastating to the program.
Over 1,000 miles up the road, Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush led the Fighting Irish to an impressive opening day victory over No. 14 Michigan. However, Wimbush struggled to get the offense going in the next two games and was benched in favor of Ian Book in Week 4 who took them to the College Football Playoff.
On Tuesday, Wimbush announced he is transferring to UCF for the 2019 season, his final year of eligibility. As a graduate transfer, he will be immediately eligible to play for the Knights in 2019.
The news was nearly overshadowed by names like Jalen Hurts, Tate Martell and Austin Kendall transferring. However, with Milton likely to miss the entire 2019 season, Wimbush might be one of the most impactful transfers this year.
In Milton’s absence, freshman Darrien Mack stepped in and led the Knights to a win in the AAC Championship Game over Memphis. Mack started the Fiesta Bowl vs. LSU that saw their winning streak come to an end. Before the announcement, the starting quarterback position for 2019 was Mack’s to lose, but the addition of Wimbush makes an intriguing battle in Orlando.
Will Wimbush win the starting job at UCF?
With two strong candidates competing for the starting job, head coach Josh Heupel can breathe a sigh of relief. The pressure for Milton to return is lessened, and he can take 2019 to rehabilitate for a 2020 return. For the coming season, Wimbush can help act as a placeholder for Milton and continue UCF’s winning ways at the top Group of Five program.
Being an underdog is something Wimbush is all too familiar with. As a freshman, he entered Notre Dame as a four-star recruit and didn’t see much action. In 2016, breakout quarterback DeShone Kizer was going to keep his starting spot and Wimbush was forced into a redshirt. 2017 gave Wimbush a chance to shine, where he finished with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions and the Irish finished 10-3, but watched from the sidelines most of 2018.
The winner of the starting spot will be awarded a high-powered offense that scored over 43 points per game (sixth in FBS). Wimbush is taking a lateral step, rather than one backward, with the passing offense (both Notre Dame and UCF averaged 257.5 yards per game in 2018). The UCF offense is jam-packed with talent, including star running back Greg McCrae, who eclipsed 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns and averaged 8.9 yards per carry (second in FBS).
The passing offense is built vertically, with Milton averaging just under 16 yards per completion (third in FBS). Heupel focuses on scoring quickly, something that will challenge Wimbush, who averaged just 6.5 yards per attempt during his career at Notre Dame.
The tempo between Notre Dame and UCF is staggeringly different: in 2018, Notre Dame managed 31.4 points per game on an average of 75 plays run, where UCF was able to score nearly two more touchdowns on just one more play per game, on average.
In order to flourish in the system, Wimbush is going to have to let the ball fly.
For now, Wimbush has another chance to lead fellow underdog UCF to greatness. Milton can sit back and recover for 2019. Heupel can continue to lead his program to victory. All Wimbush has to do is win the starting job, which is far from his to lose.