ORLANDO, Fla. — John Rhys Plumlee will be the starting quarterback for the 2022 football season, UCF football announced Sunday.

Plumlee, a senior transfer from Mississippi, won a battle with true sophomore Mikey Keene, who had been the starter since taking over for Dillon Gabriel after he severely injured his shoulder in Week 3 last season in a game in Louisville. In January, Plumlee transferred to UCF from Ole Miss, where he had played wide receiver and baseball for the past two seasons.

Plumlee last started at quarterback for Ole Miss as a freshman in the 2019 season, when he completed 79 of 150 passes for 910 yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions in nine games for the Rebels. He also carried the ball 154 times for 1,023 yards and ran for 12 touchdowns. The Mississippi native is 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds and is known for his speed.

In 11 regular-season games as a true freshman for UCF last season, nine as the starter, Keene completed 173 of 272 pass attempts for 1,730 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions and a 63.60 % completion percentage. He ran the ball 35 times for a net loss of 36 yards. In the Gasparilla Bowl victory for the Knights, their first against Florida, Keene completed 14 of 22 pass attempts for 144 yards and a touchdown with zero interceptions. Keene, 5 feet 11, 180 pounds, was recruited by former UCF coach Josh Heupel out of Chandler, Ariz.

The quarterbacks had competed since spring for the starting job. Leading up to Sunday's announcement, UCF coach Gus Malzahn had said Saturday that choosing his starter was  "not an easy decision." He had said repeatedly during fall camp that, "The great news is we have two guys we can win with."

The Knights also have true freshman Thomas Castellanos out of Waycross, Ga., on the roster this season, and he has been competing with Plumlee and Keene.

Last week, former USF and Sanford Seminole quarterback Timmy McClain announced his transfer to UCF. Malzahn said he will be the scout team quarterback this season because his transfer came so late. He said McClain is a good addition to the quarterback room because he is very skilled. He noted that he is from a Central Florida high school and already knows many of the players on UCF's roster, which includes four other players out of Sanford Seminole this year. Buffalo Bills receiver Gabriel Davis starred at UCF from 2017-19, and brother Jordan Davis is a tight end on the team now.