Notre Dame Football: Brandon Wimbush Will Spend Graduate Year at UCF

Brandon Wimbush announced Tuesday that he will use his final year of eligibility with the UCF Knights.

The former Notre Dame quarterback is a graduate transfer and will therefore be able to play immediately.

“The journey continues on,” wrote Wimbush. “A sincere thank you to Notre Dame for giving me endless opportunities on and off the field. Words truly can not describe what this incredible University and the PEOPLE mean to me and always will mean to me. I’m truly thankful. Cannot say it enough.

“With that being said, I am excited to announce that UCF has granted me an awesome opportunity to play my last year of collegiate football for their great University. Thank you to Coach Heupel, and Coach Lebby for this incredible opportunity. Looking forward to winning em all!”

This news was greeted with enthusiasm from almost everyone, including rising senior McKenzie Milton. Milton suffered nerve damage and a dislocation when he took a helmet to his right knee in a November game and won’t be ready for spring practice.

“Let’s ride, bra!” Milton, a Hawaiian, wrote.

The Knights have taken a “wait and see” approach to Milton playing in 2019. While Darriel Mack Jr. started three games last year in Milton’s absence, The Athletic believes Wimbush will emerge as the starter in Orlando.

The Knights also have Quadry Jones, who threw one pass as a true freshman this past season, and early enrollee Dillon Gabriel.

Other well-wishers included Irish women’s basketball standout Arike Ogunbowale (“Let’s get it, family!”), men’s basketball player Nikola Djogo (“Best of luck, brodie”), former Irish football players Devin Butler (“Yeaaaa”), Bennett Jackson (“Go get it!”), Jarron Jones (“Ball out, bro!”), Micah Dew-Treadway (“YEEEEAAAAAAA!!!!!! EYM FOREVER MY GUY”), Keenan Sweeney (“Yeah B! Good luck brotha!”), Malik Zaire (“Let’s go!!!!!!!!”) and Dexter Williams (“Blessings to you, my Brudda. Get that bag!”) and current players Ian Book (“Yessir. Best of luck, B”), Shaun Crawford (“Love brotha!! Do YOU”), Jalen Elliott (“Go crazy, bruva!! Love dawg”), Jamir Jones (“Big time!!! Congrats bro”) and Ade Ogundeji (“Go ahead and ball”). Wimbush also got a “Get it bro!!” from Jordan Ta’amu, who plays quarterback for the Ole Miss Rebels.

Wimbush joins Parker Boudreaux and Jonathon MacCollister as former Irish players who recently transferred to the Knight. Boudreaux also sent his congratulations Tuesday.

The Knights play three teams teams that Wimbush has seen in person before: the Stanford Cardinal (who the Irish played against all of his years, and who Wimbush played against in 2017), the Pittsburgh Panthers (who he played against in 2015 and the Irish played last season) and the Temple Owls (who he played against in 2017 and the Irish played in 2015).

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