Notebook: Former Notre Dame QB Brandon Wimbush picks UCF as graduate transfer destination
Few programs have won more college football games than Notre Dame in the last two seasons. Brandon Wimbush will be joining one of them.
On Tuesday, the former Irish quarterback announced on Instagram that he would complete a graduate transfer to University of Central Florida to play his final season of eligibility this year. The Knights have won 25 of their last 26 games with the only loss coming in the Fiesta Bowl to LSU on Jan. 1.
Wimbush, who logged a 13-3 record as a starter with Notre Dame, will enter a murky quarterback situation at UCF. Three-year starter McKenzie Milton’s status remains uncertain after he suffered a gruesome knee injury in November’s regular season finale against South Florida. Redshirt freshman Darriel Mack Jr. started the final two games of the season with Milton sidelined.
The addition of Wimbush at UCF seems to indicate Milton won't be healthy by the start of the season. His right knee has reportedly been operated on four times since the injury on Nov. 23, which included nerve damage and knee dislocation.
The 6-foot-2, 222-pound Wimbush started the first three games of Notre Dame’s 2018 season before being replaced by Ian Book. He played in six games for the Irish, completed 54 of his 102 passes for 719 yards and four touchdowns with six interceptions, rushed 68 times for 256 yards and one touchdown and won all four of his starts (Michigan, Ball State, Vanderbilt and Florida State).
Wimbush finished his Irish career 193-of-382 passing (50.5 percent) for 2,606 yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. In 20 appearances, Wimbush rushed for 1,115 yards and 16 touchdowns. He came to Notre Dame as a highly recruited four-star prospect out of Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter’s Prep, where he won a state championship as a senior. Wimbush graduated in December with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.
The last two quarterbacks to graduate transfer out of Notre Dame also finished their careers at schools in Florida: Everett Golson at Florida State in 2015 and Malik Zaire at Florida in 2017. Wimbush joins a pair of former Irish players at UCF: offensive lineman Parker Boudreaux and tight end Jonathan MacCollister.
Brady Quinn, Evan Sharpley and Tommy Rees remain the only three quarterbacks to complete their college eligibility as a quarterback at Notre Dame after signing with the Irish in the post-Lou Holtz Era (1997). The other 22 quarterbacks either transferred, changed positions of left school early for the NFL.
“The journey continues on....” Wimbush wrote on Instagram. “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!”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by @ brandon_wimbush7 on Jan 15, 2019 at 8:37am PST
Dew-Treadway to Minnesota
Former Irish defensive tackle Micah Dew-Treadway announced his next destination on Tuesday too. The 6-4, 300-pound lineman shared on Twitter that he will graduate transfer to Minnesota.
Dew-Treadway's Irish career never found much traction after enrolling early in 2015. The Bolingbrook, Ill., product played in 20 games at Notre Dame as a reserve including 11 as a senior in 2018. The only two tackles of his career came this past season with one each against Ball State and Vanderbilt.
What if I told you God gives second chances? #committed#RTB#thebrook#thankyoulordpic.twitter.com/WQwgLF9u9b
— Micah Dew-Treadway (@__DJMICAHDEW97) January 15, 2019Black back to Toledo
The university hasn’t made the hiring official yet, but Notre Dame graduate assistant Larry Black Jr. appears to be headed back to Toledo.
Black, who assisted Irish defensive line coach Mike Elston, recently updated his Twitter bio to describe himself as the Toledo defensive line coach. Black served as a graduate assistant at Toledo for two seasons before joining Notre Dame in 2018. Black played defensive tackle at Indiana from 2008-2012.
