John Rhys Plumlee might not be one of the most highly touted quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he’s not lacking confidence. The former UCF and Ole Miss star joined The Paul Finebaum Show on Wednesday and declared that he believes he is one of the best 32 quarterbacks in the world.
Of course, there are 32 NFL teams so Plumlee is simply saying he thinks he has what it takes to be a starter at the next level.
“Right now, it’s day by day, preparing adequately for the future,” he said. “Hopeful to get an opportunity, but like you said, I think that I can do a lot of things. I think I can be a weapon in many different ways. But I also think that if you asked me I’m one of the best 32 quarterbacks in the world, and I think yeah, given the opportunity, I think that I am and I will be.”
Plumlee was a dynamic playmaker in college with dual-threat ability. He broke the Ole Miss freshman rushing record and quarterback rushing record in 2019 when he ran for 1,023 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Despite the promise he showed as a true freshman, however, Plumlee spent the next two seasons as a backup before transferring to UCF. He went on to start each of the past two seasons for the Knights, recording 5,838 yards passing, 34 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. He also had 1,367 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns.
Plumlee is projected as either a late-round pick or to go undrafted according to most experts. However, while there are many QBs ahead of him on draft boards, he knows the experts don’t always get it right. He pointed to Brock Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Purdy recently led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl this past season.
“I think for me, everybody’s gonna have an opinion, everybody’s gonna have a say of where they think you should go, an opinion about you,” Plumlee said. “But I think, if you look back at the past with guys like Brock Purdy, with guys like Sean Clifford last year that didn’t necessarily get every chance in the world, but when given the opportunity, they shine. I think for me, with opportunity comes the next level. That’s what I’m looking for. I’m looking for an opportunity to showcase my skills and hopefully, that will impress and raise some eyebrows.”
John Rhys Plumlee will have the chance to back up his claims at the NFL combine and in individual workouts with potential teams. He pointed to his “ability to create when everything goes wrong” as something that he thinks will stand out. With his rushing ability, he often can find ways to get out of broken plays.
“I think, like you said, I’ve never been one to be lacking in the confidence category,” Plumlee said. “But looking at this draft class, there’s obviously a bunch of great quarterbacks, a bunch of big names that are going to do great things in the NFL, I’m sure. But I think a piece that really separates me from this draft class is my ability to create when everything goes wrong.
“I had something written in my notebook at the beginning of spring football this past year, and it was a note to myself that when everything is wrong, you are good enough to make it right. And it’s something that I believe. I think everything can be wrong – everything can be going wrong in a game, in a play, in a protection – and I think that I am good enough to make it right. And I think that’s one of the pieces that separates me from everybody else.”
The 2024 NFL Draft will take place April 25-27 in Detroit, and it will be interesting to see where Plumlee ends up.
More must-reads: