Column: Plumlee's Athleticism and Confidence Can Pay Off in Transfer Portal
John Rhys Plumlee has a history of betting on himself, and you shouldn't be surprised if it pays off.
Plumlee announced his entrance into the transfer portal on Monday following a career at Ole Miss that was one of the more complicated ones in recent memory. On one hand, Plumlee was a highly-touted recruit out of Oak Grove High School (Hattiesburg, Miss.) at a variety of positions. Originally committed to Georgia, Plumlee flipped to Ole Miss with hopes of playing quarterback in the SEC.
He succeeded, but, on the other hand, Matt Corral's arm and overall talent took the job from Plumlee when Lane Kiffin came to town.
Very few, if any, would deny that Plumlee has the athletic ability to play in the SEC, but it just hasn't worked out at Ole Miss. Want to play quarterback? A generational arm talent comes through the roster. Want to play wide receiver? Well, Ole Miss has had plenty of those in recent years as well.
There have always been debates among Ole Miss fans on social media about how much or how little Plumlee should be used in the offense. Some have even argued that he should transition to the defensive backfield. He's certainly versatile enough.
In short, however, the amount of playing time just didn't work out, and for someone of his athletic capability, he deserves a shot somewhere, even if it's not in Oxford.
There's no doubt that Ole Miss made the right quarterback choice, by the way. Without Matt Corral, a 10-win season joined by a Sugar Bowl berth doesn't happen in 2021. This isn't an argument that Plumlee should have been involved more at Ole Miss; instead, it's a nod to his talent, and a bet that he will succeed wherever he lands.
I've been on the Ole Miss beat for almost six years now, and John Rhys Plumlee is one of the brightest athletes and young men I've ever covered. He bet on himself and came to Ole Miss, and now, he's betting on himself again, and he's got the talent and head on his shoulders to make it work at the right place.
Where he lands out of the portal remains to be seen, but if he wants to play quarterback somewhere, let him go for it. In the right place and system, his athletic ability will make him a force to be reckoned with behind center. Even on a bad Ole Miss team in 2019, he shattered rushing records out of the quarterback position, even putting up staggering numbers against a defense that won a national title that season in LSU.
Maybe he goes to UCF and plays for Gus Malzahn. Maybe he goes somewhere else. Regardless, John Rhys Plumlee isn't leaving behind any hard feelings in Oxford. He made that much evident in his Twitter thread that announced his entrance into the portal.
Most players when announcing an intention to transfer on social media limit their post to a few sentences and maybe a graphic or image. Plumlee's was five tweets long, full of an expression of love for Ole Miss and the opportunities he's been given in Oxford. It's not often that an athlete gets to play two sports in the SEC, but Plumlee did, and he showed his gratitude for that on Monday.
Now, he has a chance to start anew while always cherishing what he did at Ole Miss. He'll likely always be loved in Oxford, and he will likely always reciprocate that feeling.
Once again, he's betting on himself and his ability to succeed. Don't be surprised if it pays off, regardless of where he lands.
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