UCF football wraps up first week of spring practice with QBs in ‘good spot’

UCF football wrapped its first week of spring practice Saturday and Knights coach Gus Malzahn seems pleased with how things stand.

“I feel very good about where we’re at after four practices,” he said. “We’re learning to be able to count on each other.

“Overall I love the spirit of our team and our approach.”

With new coordinators on offense and defense in Darin Hinshaw and Addison Williams, respectively, the Knights are learning mostly new systems.

“We put quite a bit of installation in, offensively and defensively,” Malzahn said.

The UCF coach who handed over offensive play-calling duties when he hired Hinshaw has continued to stress how the new coordinator is going to stretch the field vertically with passing.

“It feels really good out there the way our players are responding to coach Hinshaw and the way our staff is working with our guys,” Malzahn said. “There are a lot of good things going on out there.”

UCF’s three scholarship quarterbacks — incumbent starter John Rhys Plumlee, returning sophomore Thomas Castellanos and USF transfer Timmy McClain — are working to gain a better understanding of Hinshaw’s offense.

“After the first week, all three are in a good spot as far as understanding what we’re doing and what we want to do,” Malzahn said.

Plumlee, specifically, wrapped up a busy week that included football practice on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday as well as a road baseball game at North Florida on Tuesday and a home weekend series against Maryland that began Friday.

On Tuesday, the starting outfielder went 1-for-4 with a stolen base. Friday night, Plumlee was hit by a pitch and scored from second base after advancing on a wild pitch that was followed by a double from Andrew Brait.

Malzahn shared how Plumlee looked during Saturday’s practice.

“He had as much energy, or more energy, than anyone out there,” Malzahn said. “He’s handling everything [as] a champion. I said this before, he never really got a break after the season. He went straight into baseball.

“Doing both, he hasn’t missed a practice, a meeting or anything like that. [It’s] very impressive what he’s doing.”

As Plumlee balances two sports and learns a new offense, his wide receivers are enjoying Hinshaw’s system.

Kobe Hudson said Hinshaw is running more play-action passes and deeper drop-back passes, which generally leads to longer catches.

“That’s music to my ears,” Hudson said. “The more time the ball is in the air, the more time the receivers get to make plays on the ball. That’s a blessing for us.

“We can show the team if you throw the ball in the air, we’re going to make a play and help the team out every time.”

While one of Hinshaw’s goals is to develop UCF’s quarterbacks, Williams is aiming to crack the code in the secondary. The Knights added six newcomers at defensive back, including four transfers.

“He’s been really patient as far as making sure all of the details of the different coverages,” Malzahn said about Williams. “Each day that group has gotten better and better. We have some extremely talented young guys.”

One of the younger players in the secondary is Apopka product Nikai Martinez, who played in 13 games as a freshman.

“I’m very grateful that coach Addison got the job to be our defensive coordinator,” Martinez said. “I wouldn’t want anyone else to be it. He told me he expects me to be a more vocal leader and be that guy on the field that everyone can count on.

“Coach Addison will have us in better situations to be able to get our hands on the ball. That’s what he preaches to us — being able to be around the ball to get our hands on the ball and get turnovers to set up our offense in better field positions to score.”

After focusing on third downs Saturday, Tuesday’s practice will focus on red-zone opportunities while ramping up to the first spring scrimmage on Thursday.

“We’ll put the ball down and scrimmage,” Malzahn said. “We’re really looking forward to that.”

Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @therealBeede.