QBs shine, Jaylon Robinson returns: 5 takeaways from UCF spring football game

ORLANDO — UCF made national headlines for its spring game well before Saturday's noon start, debuting jerseys with individualized QR codes. As for the action on the field, the competing quarterbacks stole the show.

Incumbent starter Mikey Keene and Ole Miss transfer John Rhys Plumlee combined for seven touchdown passes on a warm afternoon at the Bounce House. Second-year head coach Gus Malzahn declared the competition open at the start of the spring, and both passers put in largely impressive performances in a 38-14 win for the Gold team over its Black counterpart.

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"We gave them equal reps with the 1s and 2s," said Malzahn, who added it came down to a coin flip as to who would engineer the game's opening drive. "We're not in a position right now to where we're going to name a starter tomorrow, but I think we're in a super spot going into next season.

"Competition brings out the best in everyone, and a lot of times you look to see how the teammates respond. Both of them are highly respected because of the character they have, and the talent they have."

Including the quarterbacks' displays, here are five observations from the Knights' spring football game.

Mikey Keene and John Rhys Plumlee go throw-for-throw

There was little to separate Keene and Plumlee in the opening half as both fired three touchdown passes.

Plumlee opened eyes with a perfectly thrown 38-yard TD pass to Jaylon Robinson in the early going. The senior, who was listed as a wide receiver for Ole Miss in 2021, dismisses the outside perception of being a run-first quarterback.

"People always have their opinions, and they're entitled to their opinions, but I choose to believe mine," said Plumlee, who completed 11 of 15 passes for 189 yards, according to UCF's unofficial statistics.

Keene, who started the Knights' final 10 games in place of the injured Dillon Gabriel (now at Oklahoma), was a similarly efficient 21-of-28 for 282 yards and three scores. The true sophomore made the lone mistake, though, as Jaiden Francois picked him off once in the red zone.

"I thought there were a lot of explosive plays out there, which we wanted to get from this spring game," Keene said. "Obviously, there are some things to clean up … but it was a lot of fun out there. Guys stepped up."

Back in a flash

Absent for much of the second half of the 2021 season with a knee injury, Jaylon Robinson looked back to his best.

Robinson beat Francois deep for the aforementioned 38-yard touchdown pass from Plumlee. He showed off the catch-and-run skills on his second TD of the opening half, hauling in Keene's pass across the middle, slipping a tackle and racing past a second defender for a 70-yard score.

"He looked 100% to me," Malzahn said. "He took care of his body, and our medical team did a really good job. At first this spring, he was feeling himself through. All of the sudden, he got confidence."

A 2021 preseason All-AAC first-team selection who was named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list, Robinson suited up just twice after mid-September. He's averaged 17.8 yards per catch across his two seasons for the Knights.

The likely starting tandem of Robinson, Auburn transfer Hudson and Gasparilla Bowl MVP Ryan O'Keefe figures to aid whoever wins the QB battle tremendously.

Breakout performer: Amari Johnson

Amari Johnson might have something to say about that supposed starting trio.

The Miami native shined out of the slot, catching two touchdowns and shaking plenty of defenders in the open field.

"He caught a couple of screens today that I didn't think were going to go anywhere, and all of the sudden he's sticking his foot in the ground, going north-south and getting 35 (yards) at a time," Plumlee said.

Johnson appeared in all 13 games for UCF last season, making two starts, and setting career highs in receptions (23) and yards (138). On Saturday, he caught four balls for 66 yards.

Pass-rush emphasis

Defensively, Malzahn said the focus this spring has revolved around rushing the passer.

Landon Woodson was credited with three "sacks," getting close enough to the QB to blow the play dead. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound redshirt junior added five tackles.

One of Woodson's goals throughout spring camp was to improve his technique.

"I'm a long, big, fast body. If I have good technique on top of my abilities, I'm pretty much unstoppable," Woodson said. "That's what I really wanted to hone in on, applying coaching, and I think I did well at that today."

UCF tied with Florida for 34th in the FBS last season in sacks per game, notching 34 in total. Big Kat Bryant, now pursuing an NFL career, led the squad with six.

Woodson figures to be a part of the pass-rush equation, along with Josh Celiscar, Tre'mon Morris Brash and Ricky Barber, among others.

In-game commitment from Isaiah Nixon

As important as the spring game is for the current team, it's equally a showcase for standout high school recruits. And UCF made a big impression on Isaiah Nixon, a talented junior pass-rusher out of St. Petersburg's Lakewood High.

Nixon, a consensus four-star recruit, announced his commitment at the start of the fourth quarter. He's the third member of the Knights' 2023 recruiting class, joining Apopka edge rusher Kaven Call and Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day linebacker Troy Ford Jr.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder totaled 75 tackles (24 for loss) and 10 sacks in 11 games for Lakewood last season. He claims more than 20 Division I offers, including Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami and Oklahoma.

UCF's bowl victory over in-state rival Florida and impending move to the Big 12 have resonated with a higher caliber of recruits, Malzahn firmly believes.

"We're in the game with some guys that we may not have been before," he added. "You can feel, when you're here, that we are about to do something special. You feel it, and recruits feel it from our players and our coaches. Everybody wants to dream and be a part of something special. We're well on our way."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF football: 5 takeaways from Knights spring game