purchased a few.

A bit expensive but I know Bowser needs the small amount of profit.

Anyone else?

Complete interview for those that did not tune in. Donation need and facility upgrades talk starts at 4:50 mark. Beginning segment talks about UCF Women's Basketball and how TM helped move the 1st and 2nd Round NCAA Tournament games "back to campus" and away from neutral site locations that didn't draw well at all.

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On this week’s UCF KNIGHT CAP episode we discuss NIL deals, #UCF QB battles and have a fantastic interview with Kalia Davis!

Give it a listen on the following audio platform’s Spotify, Google Podcast & Apple Podcast 🎧

On this week’s UCF KNIGHT CAP episode we discuss NIL deals, #UCF QB battles and have a fantastic interview with Kalia Davis!

Give it a listen on the following audio platform’s Spotify, Google Podcast & Apple Podcast 🎧

FYI, that's a "Straight Down" polo for Cypress Point Club in California.


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From what I heard, the engagement is imminent

😂😂😂

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John Rhys Plumlee spent the last 18 months at Ole Miss as a wide receiver, but has always been a quarterback at heart. Now at UCF, he's returned to his original position and competing with Mikey Keene for the starting job.

"Amazing," Plumlee said when asked about returning to quarterback. "That's where my heart's always been. Growing up, it's what I loved to do. To be able to do it again and get back behind center, it's truly a blessing. Something I love to do."

Plumlee caught up with the media on Tuesday following the Knights' fourth practice of spring.

Was there some early rust making the move back to full-time quarterback?

"I think there's always a little rust after you take a little bit of time off," Plumlee said. "Stuff you can clean up. Obviously pocket presence, getting depth on drops. Making sure you can maneuver back there while still keeping your eyes down field and making good throws. That's always something you can work on."

During his Ole Miss career, Plumlee mentioned he had the privilege to work with offensive minds Lane Kiffin, Jeff Lebby and Rich Rodriguez, so he feels well versed in understanding schemes which is helping him transition to Gus Malzahn and Chip Lindsey's system.

Has he had a moment yet when he felt things were clicking?

"I think so. Once you're back there and make a good throw, you're like this is great. Back doing what you love doing. As you know, at the quarterback position you've got to have a short memory. Whether you're doing good or you're doing bad, you've got to flip the page and go to the next play. You see it on film later. Coach Rich Rod my freshman year used to say you never look as good on film and never look as bad. That seems to be the truth."

As a two-sport player at Ole Miss, Plumlee always devoted 100 percent of his time to baseball during previous springs. At UCF, he's juggling both although he's not eligible to play baseball this season.

"This is my first time ever doing spring (football)," Plumlee said. "Ever. I've always been doing baseball in the spring, Obviously the waiver (for immediate baseball eligibility) didn't go through, so I couldn't participate in baseball competition. It's all about time management. Football is in the morning. Baseball is in the afternoons. My focus has shifted a little bit because football is the next season, but it doesn't mean I'm not there with the guys, hitting every once in a while to keep the rust off the baseball swing."

It is sometimes a bit tiring, but Plumlee harkens back to his childhood excitement about playing both sports.

"Every once in a while (it's tiring), but you go back to 7-year-old John Rhys and what did 7-year-old John Rhys want to do? I wanted to play football and baseball at the highest level. I'm getting to do that. I feel truly blessed to do that. Maybe some days you get out of bed, your body is aching and you want to hit the snooze, but 7-year-old John Rhys wouldn't be able to sleep. That's what I always go back to."

Plumlee said it was extremely disappointing though he can't play in baseball games this spring.

"It breaks my heart," he said. "Baseball was my first love. I started playing baseball earlier than football. I know God's got a plan. It's already written. Even though it breaks my heart, yeah I wanted to play, but I know God's got a greater plan."

Asked about wide receiver talent, Plumlee immediately name dropped UCF's returning stars in Ryan O'Keefe and Jaylon Robinson.

"Amazing receivers," Plumlee said. "Those guys can really run. Can really run routes and catch."

Jaylon Griffin is also starting to emerge.

"Like Coach Lindsey said, I think JG is a big piece in this thing. And Kobe (Hudson) coming from Auburn is a great talent. Those guys have stood out to me. Jordan (Johnson) as well. Amari (Johnson). Great route runner, really quick, has a good feel. I think we've got the opportunity to have really good depth."

How is Plumlee viewing his role in the quarterback competition with Mikey Keene?

"Obviously Mikey is a great talent. Obviously a stud of a dude. Knows the game really well. Has the arm to make all the throws. Has the athletic ability to get out of the pocket and make plays with his feet as well. It's been really fun to compete with Mikey. Compete with Tommy (Castellanos), Parker (Navarro) and all those guys. I think it takes everybody's game to the next level when you put competition into the mix. Everybody is forced to get better. To have an opportunity to compete against somebody against Mikey is truly a blessing and is fun to be able to do as well."

What's his view of freshman quarterback Thomas Castellanos?

"He's a stud," Plumlee said. "There's no doubt about it. He's really athletic. I think he's a lot like me coming out of high school. The first couple days, his head was kind of spinning but now he's starting to settle in. The game is slowing down for him. Freaky athlete. Really good arm, really good legs. He's gonna be a player for sure."

Quarterbacks haven't been "live" in practices thus far - meaning no hits from the defense - so Plumlee hasn't really had a true opportunity to show off his running ability in a competitive setting.

"I always love being live just because I get the opportunity to make plays with my feet," Plumlee said. "If it was up to me, I'd go live but ultimately it's up to (the coaches)."

Asked about a highlight of today's practice, Plumlee connected with Amari Johnson for a big gain.

"I threw a deep ball one-on-one," he said. "Amari ran a really good inside fade route. Beat the guy over the top. When they're that open, you just throw it. He obviously makes a great catch. Would've been a touchdown. Great to see guys get that open. That makes it easy on anybody."

Plumlee is excited for Saturday's scrimmage.

"I want to bring a lot of energy. I want the offense to win. I want the offense to score a bunch of points. Whatever that looks like, I want the offense to score a bunch of points."

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UCF OC and QB coach Chip Lindsey talks about the first four days of spring practice, goes in-depth about the QB competition and more.

-Today was the fourth day of practice. Chip says today was "pretty good" in terms of energy, attitude and body language but "not their best day." They need to be better on Thursday. "Any time you challenge this group, I think they rise to the challenge."

-Today they worked on third down for the first time, which comes with new intricacies in terms of different looks, understanding protections, down and distance, etc. Still thought it was a "solid day."

-Lindsey he's pleased overall with the offense, but said again they need to bring more energy on Thursday.

-I asked if Mikey Keene and John Rhys Plumlee had separated themselves to be considered the top two QBs.

"Probably a little early to say that," Lindsey said. "We still rotate Thomas and Parker in there some. Joey some too. Joey is a talented guy who can do different things. We hope to narrow that thing down the further we go through spring ball. One day two guys will get a heavy dose of certain groups and the next day the other day... We want to get that thing narrowed down by the end of spring."

-On freshman QB Thomas Castellanos:

"For a guy that's supposed to be in high school, he's very impressive. He's got a live arm. You see that right out of the gate. He's very athletic for sure... I'm not sure if he's 17 or 18, but think about a high school senior coming in and understanding verbiage. I'll say this. He's studied his butt off. I've been impressed with the way he's transitioning. But there's still some details. You throw a third down in there like today and the defense gives you some exotic looks. You've got to get the protection right and all that. That's part of his growth. Really been impressed through. You can tell he was well coached in high school. Comes from a really good program. So far he's been very impressive. Each and every day it seems he makes a wow play. I think the future is really bright for him."

-On Joey Gatewood moving to WR:

"It's something I think Joey is excited about. He's big and athletic. Obviously from playing quarterback he's got a great feel of what we're doing in the passing game. Joey, over times in his career, I know in high school he split out and did some things. When I've been with him before he's done it some. We'll see how it goes. Definitely a talented guy that I think can do a lot of things for us."

-On John Rhys Plumlee transitioning back to QB after playing WR the past two seasons:

"I think it was 18 months I guess since he played quarterback. The little things with the drops mirroring up with the right route and so forth. But I've been really impressed with him. After I would say practice four today, you couldn't look out there and say he doesn't look like he's been playing quarterback. I think he's getting more and more comfortable."

-On Mikey Keene's development:

"It's funny. I just met him. You can look on film and see golly, he looks a little bigger, a little stronger. The ball comes out of his hand a little better. Mikey is very solid. Very smart. You can tell he's played. He's got that presence. He understands what we're trying to do. Not a lot is going to fool him. I think you can see a difference physically in him. He's very intelligent. I think that's why he had success last year."

-On the WR competition:

"That group is really talented. Obviously Coach (Grant) Heard coming in, he's doing a great job developing those guys. You can see that with the way they approach practice and work after. Obviously we've got guys coming back like (Ryan) O'Keefe, Flash (Jaylon Robinson). Very impressive. You can tell those are veteran guys that have played in a lot of snaps. JG (Jaylon Griffin) has done a really nice job there. He's gotten a lot better from last year. Obviously bringing in Kobe Hudson. You see Amari (Johnson) making some plays here and there. We need that next group of guys to really take the next step to have enough depth for where we need to be."

-On the TE competition:

"Alec (Holler) is impressive. He's a guy very similar to Mikey. Just really smart, intelligent. You can tell he's played a lot. He understands the details of the position. He's physical when blocking. Obviously shows good hands as well. Impressed with him. Kemore Gamble is as talented as anybody in the country. Big 250-pound guy that can run. He's still learning the terminology and the little things. Really been impressed with him. I think Jordan Davis has made a lot of progress. That whole group as a unit, I see those guys continuing to improve. Out of those guys, we've got to figure out who can do what and put them in those positions. It's really been a bright spot."

-Asked about reuniting with Gus Malzahn, Chip said he can really tell Gus is "having a good time" and you can see his enthusiasm. "It's going to be a lot of fun again."

-On the RB depth:

"If you look at it, obviously (Isaiah) Bowser is a guy and getting R.J. (Harvey) back from the injury last year. Johnny (Richardson) is a really talented guy. You've got Mark-Antony (Richards) and the young guys. We've got some bodies that are very impressive. We're gonna need them as the season plays out. Guys get banged up here and there. I think we're in a good spot right now. That's going to help us as we get through the grind of the season."

He said again R.J. Harvey is not cleared for contact, but he's doing everything else. They hope he's 100 percent by the fall.

-On what he wants to see in Saturday's scrimmage:

"I want to see guys play in a live situation. I don't know if we'll go live on the quarterbacks. Coach will decide that. You're not going three and four-play sets where you've got time. We're rolling. Who can get the signal? Who can get us lined up? Not have penalties, false starts. Getting communication down. Training them to be in the operation like a game. I think that's what you see. In practice, it's more of a controlled situation where you can control a lot of things. They've got to quickly process (during a scrimmage). It's a little different in those situations."

-On whether WR Jaylon Griffin stepping up:

"I think so. I wasn't here last year, but I've been impressed with him. We need him to be that and step up. Kind of challenged him in the offseason to take that next step. A lot of that is believing in himself and having the confidence. You can tell his confidence is growing. Been really pleased with him and need him to continue to improve."

Walker gives an overall recruiting update and shares that he may make UCF his last unofficial visit before he starts taking his officials.

Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day linebacker Troy Ford Jr. visited UCF for a game last season and returned recently to attend Hometown Hero, UCF's mega junior day event.

"It was a great experience," Ford said. "The coaches treated me really good. I told Coach T-Will (Travis Williams), I know I've put South Carolina at the top of my list, but I'm changing that. UCF is my No. 1 school right now. They're showing me a lot of love. I feel I can really fit in down here."

What stands out about UCF?

"The fans," Ford said. "Every time I post something on Twitter they go crazy. The coaches. I feel I've bonded with all the coaches, especially Coach T-Will. Coach (William) Lee, I talk to him a lot. Orlando itself. The city is crazy. I know there's a lot of opportunities for me."

UCF is recruiting Ford as a middle linebacker. Other offers include Arkansas, Auburn, Cincinnati, Duke, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Most of those offers are for linebacker, though Iowa State likes him as an edge rusher.

"Coaches always talk about my explosiveness," Ford said. "When they watch my film, they say my first two steps are very violent which helps me get separation."

What areas of his game can improve?

"I would say my reads," Ford said. "I was playing defensive end a lot with my high school team, so I need to work on reads and pass coverage more. That's why I'm doing more 7-on-7."

At Hometown Hero, Ford naturally spent the most time with T-Will.

"He's really funny," Ford said of Williams. "He's straight up with you too. I talked to his wife and kids a couple times too. I like the whole family."

Ford watched UCF's win against Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl.

"My dad is actually a Florida fan," Ford said. "That's a big step for UCF. They can beat SEC schools. They keep moving up and will be able to beat anybody."

Ford also visited South Carolina and Arkansas during January. His next trips probably won't be until spring practice. He plans to return to UCF and also visit Mississippi State.

"I first thought I wanted to commit by the end of the school year, but then I don't want to commit and still take another official visit so I think I'm going to commit after I take a couple officials," Ford said. "So either summer or maybe even early in my (senior) football season.

"The main for me is wherever I feel at home. I want to get my degree first, so I can see UCF definitely cares about that. The coaching staff, I already know the coaching staff (at UCF) and they're great people."

As for putting UCF on top, how did T-Will react to that news?

"He was like, 'That's great!,'" Ford said. "He said he's trying to get me now. He wants me down here as many times as possible. Wants me to come to a spring practice so I can see how he coaches. No other school has treated me like UCF has so far."

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Scary good. This wasnt a team of destiny this year like some of our MBB NCAA teams. Lot of points back. Brittney Smith should be a lot better.

Could potentially start the season RV if not ranked.

We just wrapped up our 20 minutes of weekly access and there is a new weapon at WR.



Joey Gatewood has changed positions. Top two QBs are definitely MK and JRP. More later.

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UCF has plenty of experience returning in the secondary, including Justin Hodges who emerged at the nickelback position this past season.

"If we all just do our job and listen to Coach T-Will, the sky is the limit."

He really liked the the way the third team performed today, particularly Philjae Bien-Aime.

Asked about freshman CB Nikai Martinez, Hodges said he was "twitchy."

He also added Mikey Keene and John Rhys Plumlee are doing well.

Team “MK”.

I’ve watched him during his freshman season play QB and throw a football last season. I’ve seen him cast a fishing lure in a local lake. He helped UCF beat the 🐊.

From what I can see, he has everything in the tool box to be a leader on and off the field.

Not sure if he can catch a fish though.*

Excited to see him develop over the coming days, months, and 2022.

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SIAP:

Any guesses?

Arch Manning?

I became a UCF fan in 2005 as an undergrad. What was the Kruczek era like? Gene McDowell? What type of offense did we run?

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Isaiah Bowser is feeling better than ever.

Returning for a fifth year and his second in Orlando, the UCF running back is back to 100 percent after a season plagued by injury. Now in the midst of spring practice, he's looking forward to his final collegiate season.

Bowser caught up with the media on Saturday following UCF's third practice and first day of full pads:

Coach Gus Malzahn was wearing Bowser's t-shirt just a few minutes earlier.

"It's awesome he wore that," Bowser said. "It shows the kind of coach we have. Players coach. He's here to support us and make sure we're great all the time. I love to play for a guy like that. NIL gives us the opportunity to build our brand. It's definitely great we can do things like that nowadays."

How was the first day of pads?

"It was good getting the pads back on. We haven't played in a long time. I think everybody did a good job today. More than I had expected for us to be moving so well so early. We've had a good start to spring ball."

He was hobbled a bit last season with injuries that forced him to miss five games. How is he feeling now?

"That's all in the past," Bowser said. "I feel 100 percent. I'm ready to compete and keep getting better and better every day."

What's his early take on the quarterback competition?

"Right now, there's no clear cut anything right now. All those guys are competing. We're splitting the reps. Everybody is going with the ones. You know how it is. Ones, twos or threes aren't so important right now. We're just getting in the flow of things. I've been impressed with all those guys."



Gus Malzahn had mentioned earlier they were treating Bowser "like an NFL guy" in terms of managing his body.

"Me coming back, that's one thing he mentioned, to treat me more like an NFL guy in terms of my body," Bowser said. "He got me into yoga. Now I go a couple times a week. That really helps me feel lose and ready to go for each practice."

I asked more about the yoga sessions, whether a lot of guys participate.

"It's whoever wants to come on the team," Bowser said. "We've had a handful of guys. Probably 10-plus every time. A lot of older guys go mainly. A few younger guys. Old guys like me and Ryan Swoboda. We're trying to get our body in tune and ready to go. It's right over here in our facility. Coach hired an instructor to come and teach us yoga for about an hour."

What are the benefits?

"Stretching is the main thing," Bowser said. "It helps with mind and body. It connects you to your body. Your breathing. It's really beneficial to me."

Earlier, Gus seemed giddy when talking about the running back depth and said they could feature two-RB sets this year.

"Our running back room has a lot of explosive guys," Bowser said. "Guys that can really make plays. I think getting two of us on the field is going to be really dangerous."

How are the new offensive line transfers doing?

"Those guys, they got into it quick coming into a new offense," Bowser said. "You can tell they're veteran guys who have played a lot of football. They adapted quick, knowing the plays. They've been great. I've been really impressed with how they've performed so well."

And what is he getting from the defense, particularly on the first day of pads?

"Defense brought physicality," Bowser said. "Those guys were coming downhill, but we were hitting them too. There were a lot of big collisions today. You can tell guys are hungry and trying to earn their spot."

I asked who had the "play of the day" on offense.

"I think one was Trillion Coles," Bowser said. "He made a move with a spin. That was pretty sweet."

I asked about the new tight end transfer Kemore Gamble, who was a former starter at Florida.

"Another play I could have mentioned - he made a diving catch today," Bowser said. "He's come in and been a leader right away. He's played a ton of ball in college, just like I have. He's fitting in well. I think he's a great addition to our offense."

And what about wide receiver Kobe Hudson, who was Auburn's No. 1 target last year?

"Kobe has stepped up performing well," Bowser said. "Making good catches one on one, elusive with the ball too. I'm excited to see how he can take his game to the next level this season."

How good can this offense be?

"We have a chance to be really good," Bowser said. "We plugged the holes. We're just getting things together right now. Seeing the potential out there is really encouraging. I think we have a chance to be really good."

Eastern Illinois LB Jason Johnson was an FCS All-American.


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D3 last year, but still. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

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Justice prevails and Trump gets a check, lol.