John Rhys Plumlee raves about OL transfers from Alabama, Stanford: 'They're big as hogs, for sure'

UCF added some big-time transfers on the offensive line this offseason to ensure that it is ready to compete in its first season in the Big 12.

The Knights brought in Amari Kight from Alabama, Drake Metcalf from Stanford and Marcellus Marshall from Kent State. All three offensive linemen are expected to help UCF this fall.

Knights quarterback John Rhys Plumlee spoke with ESPN at Big 12 Media Days on Thursday about what he has seen from the transfer offensive linemen since they arrived on campus.

“Really, really good. Those guys are unbelievable,” Plumlee said. “They call theirselves the hogs and they’re big as hogs, for sure. But those guys are super good dudes, first off. And so it makes it easy to be buddies with them. Because at the end of the day you’re with them every single day.”

Kight was Alabama’s backup left tackle in 2022. He joined the UCF program as a grad transfer after appearing in 12 games for the Crimson Tide last season. He was rated as one of the top offensive tackles in the country when he signed with Alabama in the class of 2019.

Metcalf appeared in three games for the Cardinal in 2022, making one start. He appeared in all 12 games in 2021.

Marshall was first-team All-MAC last season after starting all 12 games for Kent State in 2022. Plumlee is a big fan of all three additions.

“The physical aspect of those guys, you’re not hiding it from anybody,” Plumlee said. “Those dudes look the part and they play like it, too.”

Gus Malzahn reveals how UCF QB John Rhys Plumlee’s game has evolved: ‘It’s like night and day’

UCF should not only be better because of its improved offensive line but also because Plumlee is a year older and should be better.

As UCF jumps from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12, they’re thankfully taking quarterback John Rhys Plumlee with them. After spending three seasons at Ole Miss, Rhys Plumlee joined the Golden Knights last offseason and made an immediate impact, establishing himself as one of the most effective dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation.

But being a dual-threat QB comes with its fair share of hits, and at Big 12 Media Days, UCF head coach Gus Malzahn spoke about keeping his star quarterback healthy.

“That’s the key, he can’t be our leading rusher,” Malzahn said. “We ran him too much, you gotta keep in mind he didn’t play quarterback for a year and a half before last year. He was learning as we were playing games and then he hit a stride and started playing at a high level. And if he hadn’t got hurt, we would’ve finished really really well.”

Injuries occasionally slowed down Rhys Plumlee in his debut season at UCF, but he still managed to lead the team in rushing and passing yards. He ended last season with 2,586 yards in the air, 862 yards on the ground, and 25 total touchdowns, and those numbers could go up if he keeps progressing the way Malzahn believes he is.

“But he is a complete, different quarterback right now than he was, it’s like night and day, so I’m very excited,” Malzahn said. “When we’ve had a chance to win championships and play for national championships, we’ve had quarterbacks with his skillset and I feel really good about where he’s at right now.”