UCF Football announced Thursday that Brandon Wimbush will take the helm as starting quarterback in the season opener against the Florida A&M Rattlers on Aug. 29.
The path to replace veteran quarterback Mckenzie Milton — who suffered a gruesome, season-ending knee injury in November 2018 — wasn’t an easy one for those who had their eyes fixed on the starting gig.
Prior to breaking his ankle in an off the field activity before training camp, redshirt sophomore quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. was considered the heir to Milton.
Leading the Knights to an American Athletic Conference Championship win and earning a spot in the 2019 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, Mack was considered a top contender for the position.
With Mack out of the picture, Wimbush found himself in a face-off against freshman Dillon Gabriel and redshirt freshman Quadry Jones.
Wimbush will not be the only UCF quarterback to lead the No. 17 ranked Knights next week, head coach Josh Heupel said in a statement posted to the UCF Football Twitter account. Gabriel will also have an opportunity to take the field and showcase his abilities against the unranked Rattlers.
https://twitter.com/UCF_Football/status/1164594733928370177
The season-opening game will not be Wimbush’s first snaps under the bright lights. The graduate transfer started 12 games for Notre Dame during the 2017-2018 season, according to the Notre Dame Athletics website.
Wimbush will lead the Knights against the Rattlers in the season opener on Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at Spectrum Stadium.
