2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: UCF QB John Rhys Plumlee

From now until the 2024 NFL Draft takes place, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Central Florida QB John Rhys Plumlee.

#10 John Rhys Plumlee/QB Central Florida – 5116, 203 pounds (Fifth Year Senior)

MEASUREMENTS

*Pro Day Measurements/Numbers

The Good

– Athletic player, able to improvise and make plays happen
– Tough and a gamer, played hurt/sick
– Not afraid to air it out deep, doesn’t play conservatively
– Accurate deep ball with good placement
– Mobile, asset in designed run game and can scramble to extend play and gain yards with his legs
– Willing to take a hit to make a play, sacrifices body as a runner to move the sticks
– Flashes ability to keep composed under pressure and keep eyes downfield
– Shows compact and quick release
– Played tough against top opponents

The Bad

– Undersized, short, with smaller hands
– Passes can wildly sail at all levels; accuracy is scattershot
– Too often had an issue with shotgun snaps and muffed too many
– Struggled in adverse conditions (Oklahoma State game); smaller hands may have impacted how well the ball came out of his hand, and some passes slip/flutter
– Arm strength is average but doesn’t wow
– Too often chucked it deep and didn’t throw full route tree (RPOs, slant/glance, vertical shots)
– Playstyle lends itself to getting hit and hurt
– Minimal evidence of him going through reads and full-field scans
– Career-long habit of poor touchdown-to-INT ratios, even dating back to HS (14 TDs, 9 INTs as HS junior)

Bio

– 23 years old
– Ten starts for UCF in 2023
– Spent 2019-2021 at Ole Miss, transferred to UCF for 2022-2023 seasons
– Career: 464-for-760 (61.1 completion percentage), 5,838 yards with 34 TDs and 19 INTs, 2,556 rushing yards and 28 rushing scores
– 2023: 161-for-256 (62.9 completion percentage), 2,271 yards with 15 TDs and 8 INTs
– Played QB as a freshman at Ole Miss, switched to WR in 2020 (one week before bowl game) and 2021, catching 25 passes for 280 yards, converted back to QB at UCF
– Three-star QB from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, initially chose Georgia but flipped to Ole Miss after being asked by Kirby Smart to blueshirt, chose Ole Miss over offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, and Florida State, among many others
– Threw for 51 touchdowns in high school, rushed for 31 more
– Accomplished HS baseball player, hit .455 as a junior, played for Ole Miss team as an outfielder in 2020 and 2021, hit .267 with one home run in the latter year
– Played for UCF baseball team in 2023, hitting .286 with ten home runs, stole 18 bases, once played baseball game (hitting a triple) on the same day as spring game for the football team (threw two touchdowns)
– Suffered meniscus injury to right knee in Week Two of 2023 season, missed two games, played rest of season with bulky right brace
– Dealt with a hamstring pull and shoulder injury throughout the 2022 season, had knee surgery in 2019
– Missed time with broken thumb as high school junior
– Talented piano player and singer, began playing in 2nd grade, and many family members play, calls it a good stress reliever

Tape Breakdown

John Rhys Plumlee went from quarterback to receiver at Ole Miss before transferring to Central Florida and returning to play quarterback. Tough, athletic, and a competitor, he’s a multi-sport star who flashes on tape. He doesn’t show fear and wants to push the ball downfield, hitting top WR Javon Baker throughout the season.

He flashes a solid deep ball, and despite not having a mega-arm, his accuracy and touch are on display. He trusts his guys to make plays.

Plumlee is an excellent athlete and no one should be surprised he showed out at his Pro Day workout during the Big 12 conference Combine. A two-sport player throughout college, he can hit home runs and throw touchdown passes. On tape, he can scramble and run in the designed or improvised running game. He won’t run away from all 11 on a defense (though the knee injury he played through had an impact), but he’s a threat to gain yards, and he’s not afraid to lower the shoulder to move the sticks.

I gotta give him credit for beating some big schools, too. They blew out No. 15 Oklahoma State and took No. 6 Oklahoma to the mat, narrowly losing mid-season, despite the Knights going 6-7 on the year

But accuracy is a big problem. He’s scattershot and can miss wildly. His passes are often too high, and don’t give his receivers a chance.

He’s been hit and hurt plenty and battled a knee injury throughout the 2023 season. And he’s never had a good TD to INT ratio in his college career, not even 2:1. It’s doubtful that’s going to get better at the next level.

Conclusion

Overall, John Rhys Plumlee brings an interesting resume as a man of many talents. While he had some success at quarterback, his inaccuracies are hard to get past. I definitely can see a team trying to move him back to wide receiver, and though that’s always a long shot, it’s probably the best one he has. He’s tough and athletic, and that’s where he could stick on a practice squad. He’s similar to Dorian Thompson-Robinson out of UCLA last year, but my comp will be B.J. Daniels.

Projection: Undrafted Free Agent
Depot Draft Grade: 5.5MED – Undrafted Free Agent (Camp Invite)
Games Watched: at Oklahoma (2023), at Cincinnati (2023), vs Oklahoma State (2023)