ORLANDO, Fla. _ Brandon Wimbush came to UCF looking for a fresh start. All the former Notre Dame quarterback wanted was a chance at earning the starting job and he got it Thursday when he was named the starter for next week's opener against Florida A&M.
Wimbush beat out redshirt freshman Quadry Jones and true freshman Dillon Gabriel in a highly-competitive three-man quarterback competition to replace injured veteran McKenzie Milton.
With Milton expected to miss all of this upcoming season while recovering from a devastating knee injury suffered last season and Darriel Mack Jr. still recovering from surgery on a broken ankle he sustained before camp opened, Wimbush assumes the mantle of leading UCF's offense in 2019.
"Brandon Wimbush will be our starting quarterback and Dillon Gabriel will get an opportunity to play in the first game as well," UCF coach Josh Heupel announced in a message posted on UCF's football account. "We've been pleased that all three quarterbacks have played at a high level during fall camp."
Wimbush was the most experienced player among the three, having started 16 games for the Fighting Irish from 2017-2018, leading the program to a 13-3 record before being replaced in the starting lineup by Ian Book three games into last season.
"I thought any school that would allow me to come in and compete for a starting position and give me the opportunity to do so would be a good place for me to go and play my last year of college football," Wimbush said back in March during spring camp. "There were other opportunities and I had family down here this way, so I thought it was a good spot for me to end up."
All three quarterback candidates improved during the offseason, according to Heupel and UCF quarterbacks coach Jeff Lebby, with each player embracing the nuances of running the Knights' up-tempo offensive system.
"You can't buy experience, you've got to live it," Lebby said. "That's the biggest thing. He's got it. That's a big part of it, but it's not something that at the end of the day is going to make the decision."
The second-year coordinator said Wimbush worked to improve his mechanics, learn the Knights' offense and bond with his teammates.
"He's really just totally different. Fundamentally, he's a lot better. He's been able to get himself in better body position, creating more consistent throws and he's night and day from the spring game to today," Lebby said.
"I thought he got better in his decision-making as camp went on," Heupel said of Wimbush following the team's practice Tuesday. "I thought he got better in his fundamentals in the pocket and more comfortable with some of the things we were asking him to do with his feet."
Wimbush said it was his footwork that he's been focusing on during his time with the Knights.
"Just quickening up my feet and being more confident in what we're doing. I think that all comes into play when we want to run this offense as efficiently as we can," Wimbush said.
Lebby said he's seen a complete buy-in among the quarterbacks throughout this competition in preseason camp.
"They've been selfless. They really have so I'm proud of them. We have a hell of group, we really do. The guys have done a great job and they'll continue that," he added.
While most of the attention has been paid to who will be starter this season, the Knights will also work to identify a backup.
"The way we view that is whoever is in the game needs to operate at a high level. We've got high standards of how we're going to play offensively and I don't care who's in there and who's taking the snap, we're going to have a guy that's going to get it done," added Lebby.
Gabriel, meanwhile, will see some action as well after arriving on campus back in January as an early enrollee. The coaching staff has been impressed with his physical attributes and his demeanor throughout the seven months of this competition.
Said Heupel this week, "He was really consistent and had a couple days where he maybe didn't play his best, but I thought he handled it well and came back and rebounded the next day. I like what he's been doing."
