ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee will return as the starter for the University of Central Florida on Saturday when the Knights head to Oklahoma to take on the No. 6 Sooners, coach Gus Malzahn said Monday.

The quarterback injured his right leg in the closing minute of UCF's 18-16 victory against Boise State on Sept. 9 when a Broncos defender tackled him and his leg bent awkwardly. UCF has not disclosed what the injury is, but Plumlee wore a large brace on the leg when he was out.

"You realize how blessed you are to do something when it gets taken away," Plumlee said. "You get the opportunity, and then you can't do it anymore. It really makes you appreciate it. I'm super-super excited to have the opportunity to play and do what I love to do."

After missing three games with the injury, Plumlee started the Knights' last game, at Kansas on Oct. 7. But he played for less than 2 minutes in the first quarter before leaving the game temporarily, saying he tweaked his leg. He returned late in the first quarter and misfired on a couple of passes before leaving the game for good with UCF trailing 3-0.

Malzahn said he might have been a little overly ambitious when he said before the Kansas matchup that Plumlee was about 90% heading into that game. But this time, Plumlee has had a great week of practice in the bye week and is close to 100%, Malzahn said.

"As a competitor, it stings when you have to sit on the sideline when you wanna be out there with your guys, but I try to play my role and do my part," Plumlee said. "My role was different than it was, but I had to learn to play my role. I'm excited to get back into this role because it is what I love to do."

It's been a painful time for the Knights, too. 

UCF entered its bye week last Saturday 3-3, with all three losses coming in its only Big 12 games so far this season. The Knights used the week off to reset and refocus as they try to get into the win column in their new conference.

"You know every week you're gonna go against quality players in all positions," Malzahn said. "You're gonna go against good depth. You gotta play really good football to win games in this league."

The first game back against the sixth-ranked Sooners will be a challenge.

The game against the Sooners (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) will pit Plumlee and UCF (3-3, 0-3) against former Knights quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who broke his left clavicle in the third game of the 2021 season and never played for the Knights again. He entered the transfer portal immediately after the season and eventually signed with Oklahoma.

In six games with Oklahoma this season, Gabriel has thrown for 16 touchdowns and 1,878 yards and has scored five rushing touchdowns.

"He's got an outstanding skill set," Malzahn said. "You talk about a guy who every day in practice he’d make a throw that we’d go, 'Wow, his accuracy.' He's a veteran guy now, too, so think about all the snaps he's played."

Defensive tackle Ricky Barber said you could see the type of competitor Gabriel was when he played for UCF.

"He's a really smart, savvy quarterback, and he can run a little bit, too," Barber said.

In the three games in which he played before he was injured this season, Plumlee passed for 586 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 163 yards and one touchdown.

At the Knights' news conference Monday, Plumlee thanked Associate Athletic Director of Sports Medicine Mary Vander Heiden for helping to get him and other banged up teammates ready to get back on the field. That includes Barber, a defensive captain who has missed significant playing time because of an injury.

Plumlee still is expected to play with a brace on his leg. For now, the staff has told him it's just part of his uniform.