UCF Football: What does Brandon Wimbush transfer mean for Knights?

Option B: Darriel Mack Jr. develops into the new UCF starting quarterback

The second option for Heupel and crew is that Brandon Wimbush comes to Orlando and begins a quarterback competition that pushes redshirt sophomore Darriel Mack Jr. to blossom as a starter for the Knights after McKenzie Milton’s injury last year pushed up the timetable on his development.

After mop-up duty throughout the year, Mack got his first real chunk of playing time when he came in for Milton and steered the Knights to victory over South Florida in the War on I-4 on Black Friday. Mack definitely showed glimpses of big-time potential as a redshirt freshman in 2018. In the American Athletic Conference championship game, Mack led a comeback victory by the Knights as he scored four rushing touchdowns and threw for two more on 19-of-27 passing.

The quarterback had less success against a tough LSU defense. One imagines that Milton would have enjoyed more success against the Tigers in the Fiesta Bowl after he took down Auburn in the Peach Bowl in 2017, but that can hardly be held against Mack. Despite a rough second start, Mack got the sort of developmental education that could flourish under pressure.

Bringing in Wimbush is certainly pressure for the incumbent UCF backup who was given an audition at the end of 2018 that justified bringing in a challenger for the coaching staff. Mack now has the chance to turn the graduate transfer into insurance and force Wimbush into the same backup role he left behind.