UCF SPRING GAME TAKEAWAYS: John Rhys Plumlee completes baseball-football doubleheader

ORLANDO — Just before he walked off the field Friday night at FBC Mortgage Stadium, UCF football coach Gus Malzahn delivered words Knights fans have longed to hear.

"See you in the Big 12."

The next time Malzahn's team takes the field in front of its crowd, it will do so as fully fledged Power Five members. UCF closes out its spring practice schedule Tuesday officially, but hosted its signature Knights vs. 'Nauts one-half scrimmage a few days ahead of time.

UCF TRANSFER TRACKER: Decorian Patterson, FBS co-leader in picks, commits to Knights

UP FOR GRABS: 5 position battles starting in spring football for Big 12-bound UCF Knights

The 'Nauts, comprised of the team's offensive players, were officially credited with a 43-42 win — factoring in points awarded in post-game skills competitions, such as the longest throw for non-quarterbacks and punt catches for linemen. On the field, UCF's offense produced five scoring drives, and its defense forced two turnovers.

Let's look at the bigger picture with five takeaways from the annual spring game.

1. John Rhys Plumlee tallies 2 hits, tosses 2 TDs

As expected, John Rhys Plumlee completed a dual-sport doubleheader Friday night. He played seven innings of UCF's 12-3 win over Memphis on the diamond, hopped on a golf cart, switched uniforms and jogged onto the sideline to join the football team.

The entire changeover took just seven minutes, per Eric DeSalvo, the school's associate athletics director for content.

"That's got to be a world record, right? Nobody's ever done it, so it's a world record. Someone write it down," Plumlee joked. "Seven minutes has to be a good time."

He produced big numbers in both outings, as well. Plumlee went 2 for 3 at the plate with a two-run triple to open the scoring, and then completed 10 of 17 passes for 236 yards with two long touchdowns — a 70-yard bomb to Kobe Hudson, and a 35-yard back shoulder fade to Javon Baker — and one interception.

"It's something that I'll never forget," Plumlee said. "Coach Malzahn, I remember being on the phone with him when I was in the transfer portal and telling him, 'Hey, coach, I want to play football but I also want to play baseball.' He gave me his word. For him to follow through with that, and to go through the lengths he's gone through — and (UCF baseball coach Greg) Lovelady, too — to give me the opportunity to do what I love to do is really special."

2. Noticeably faster tempo

New offensive coordinator Darin Hinshaw promised a vertical passing game, and the Knights largely delivered on their deep shots. Sophomore Thomas Castellanos also fired a 29-yard post to DeLand grad Dionte Marks for the Citronauts' opening offensive score.

What's more, Hinshaw's unit moved with a noticeably quicker tempo. It might not be quite the breakneck pace of Scott Frost's or Josh Heupel's offenses, but the Citronauts showcased a little bit of rhythm as the night wore on.

"I thought the timing was good," Malzahn said. "Obviously, the defense got the best of us in the first quarter but in the second (quarter) we got some first downs and some tempo. We'll continue to work on getting faster."

The 'Nauts stalled on their first three drives and turned the ball over on their fourth. In the second quarter, they scored four touchdowns in the span of 4 minutes, 20 seconds, gaining 280 yards in 15 plays.

3. Bowman rebounds after early fumble

Speaking of the turnover, it came on Demarkcus Bowman's first touch of the evening. True freshman Jason Duclona jarred the ball free, and fellow early enrollee Kaven Call secured the recovery.

Bowman atoned for the error, though, and flashed his exceptional speed in ripping off a couple gains of 20-plus yards.

"You saw it, he's got real speed. He's a home run waiting to happen," Malzahn said.

Named Mr. Football after his senior year at Lakeland, Bowman spent a year apiece at Clemson and Florida, where he totaled 113 yards on 23 attempts. He rushed six times for 61 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown.

Returning starter RJ Harvey handled the lion's share of first-team carries throughout spring, and he rushed for a 10-yard TD. Bowman should be in the mix for opportunities along with fellow Polk County native Johnny Richardson and Jordan McDonald.

4. Transfer portal opens Saturday

College football's second period of roster flux begins Saturday as the NCAA's transfer portal opens for the final 15 days of April.

The Knights will have at least one addition in the secondary following Decorian Patterson's commitment on Thursday. The former Middle Tennesse cornerback, an Ocala native, tied for the FBS lead with seven interceptions last season.

Of course, there's always the risk the Knights could suffer significant losses. This time last year, projected top receiver Jaylon Robinson entered the portal and left for Ole Miss. In the 45-day winter period, quarterback Mikey Keene (Fresno State), linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste (Ole Miss), wide receiver Ryan O'Keefe (Boston College), cornerback Davonte Brown (Miami) and center Matt Lee (Miami) found new homes.

"First of all, we want to hold onto all our players. I think that's where it really starts," Malzahn said. "We're hopeful we can do that. In the new age of college football, if you lose somebody and there's a better guy you feel you can replace him with, you do it. We'll see what happens, but hopefully we'll keep our core intact."

5. Top 2025 RB target commits

For the second straight spring game, UCF scored a monumental recruiting victory as its top 2025 running back target decided to stay home.

Osceola's Taevion Swint announced his verbal commitment to the Knights less than an hour after the evening's festivities concluded. A regular visitor throughout the 2022 season, Swint rushed for 1,666 yards and 20 touchdowns during his sophomore season for the Region 3-4S champion Kowboys.

"Talking to Coach Malzahn for a little minute, and getting to know Kam Martin, they really made it feel like home," Swint said. "My former teammate John Walker staying committed stood out to me. Not too many people stay in the local area, so that really meant a lot. I had to really lock in with the coaches. I'm really feeling it. I love the program.

"I see their plan. They run the ball hard and fast, and that's just my style. I'm locked in and already picturing myself there."

According to On3 Sports' industry ranking, Swint is the No. 86 overall player and the No. 8 running back recruit in the country for the 2025 signing class.

Last year, Lakewood edge rusher Isaiah Nixon committed to the Knights in the second half of the spring game. Though he flipped to Florida over the summer, Nixon eventually signed with UCF in the early period on Dec. 21 and will enroll ahead of the 2023 season.

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