Two games into the 2016 season, and the University of Central Florida is already seeing a quarterback change. It is being circulated that true freshman quarterback McKenzie Milton will start in Saturday night’s bout against the University of Maryland. The Orlando Sentinel’s Shannon Green first got a confirmation of the starting decision after Nick Abramo of Hawaii Prep World first reported possibility, citing Milton’s father.
Just got it confirmed from a very reliable source that McKenzie Milton will indeed start today.
— Shannon Green (@osknights) September 17, 2016
The depth-chart change comes after former starting quarterback Justin Holman injured his hamstring in a scramble-turned-run in a 51-14 loss to the Michigan Wolverines. Redshirt senior Nick Patti would replace Holman, but his relieving performance was unimpressive. Holman and Patti combined for 56 yards on 6-for-22 passing in Ann Arbor.
“[Milton’s] got the it factor, whatever it is,” Knights head coach Scott Frost said Monday at the team’s game-week press conference. “He’s had a great camp, does everything the right way.”
While Holman and Patti were named first- and second-string quarterbacks to start the season, the third-string spot was still up for grabs, as sophomores Tyler Harris (who played in five games in 2015) and Garrett Kruczek and Milton all competed for the spot. It looks like, now, Frost will go with the first quarterback he recruited since coming to Orlando.
Mitlon, a Hawaii native, has the third-most passing yards in Hawaii high-school football history with 7,303, trailing only Timmy Chang (8,001) and Andrew Manley (7,637), per Abramo. He completed 65.5 percent of his passes in three starting campaigns. His 81 touchdown passes are second only to Chang’s 113.
Kickoff for Saturday’s game against the Terrapins is set for 7 p.m.
