UCF quarterback Mackenzie Milton plans to enter the transfer portal on Thursday, ending a five-year career with the Knights in hopes of a final chance to see a starting job.
Milton has not played in two years after he damaged his right knee ligament and ligaments, nerves and arteries during a game in November 2018. He has worked consistently the previous way, and he has run the UCF Scout team in the last two months, for which a second chance to play eagerly.
With Dillon Gabriel joining UCF as a quarterback, it became clear to Milton that in order to achieve his goal of becoming a starter again, he would have to say goodbye.
“I know my watch is ticking,” Milton said in an exclusive interview with ESPN. “I’ve got one more year to play, and the momentum that Dill has given me, I don’t want to ask for any controversy in the locker room. He’s got the right to be a starter here at UCF. I see that, and I think he’s UCF. And the best for myself is that I’m moving on from anywhere else. I’m trying to pursue my dream of playing in the NFL, so I’ve got the best chance to do it. “
After several conversations in recent days with Galbraith and UCF coach Josh Huppel, Milton told his teammates about his decision Thursday morning, who were talking to him about staying. The decision was made more strictly because Milton and Gabriel are close friends. In fact, Gabriel chose the UCF largely because Milton paved the way for him from Hawaii.
“It’s very emotional, but it’s one of those things where Dillon and I are on our own path.” “He’s at UCF, and I think my end is coming, so I think the torch is gone. He will continue to do great things. This is a tough decision, but it also makes a lot of sense.
“There are no bitter feelings towards UCF. I always bleed black and gold. It’s the end of a chapter here for me and my playing career, and it’s probably the bitterest part of it. We’ve achieved a lot in my time here, and that’s a blessing. Nothing else is happening. “
Mahalo, Mackenzie # 10hana🌺🤙 pic.twitter.com/c47tr0iF31
– UCF Football @ (@ UCF_Football) l) December 3, 2020
Milton, who has averaged 9,760 yards and 92 touchdowns in his UCF career, started out in 2016 as a true fresh man, but the best was yet to come. The Knights were unbeaten in 2017 with a win over Ub Burn in the Chick Phil-A Peach Bowl, in which they declared themselves national champions. Milton also joined the UCF. The annual contest against led to an unbeaten 11-0 in 2018.
Everything changed for him when he took a knee hit in the second quarter of that game. In the hours of friction following the injury, doctors at Tampa General H Hospital Spital worked to protect his leg from amputation. From there, the long road to recovery began. Milton’s surgeon in Minnesota allowed him to resume football this past summer. In a recent interview with ESPN, UCF chief football athlete trainer Mary Wehnder Haddin said Milton’s knee was stable and his strength was “within normal limits.”
Milton is putting up a tape for a potential coach in which the highlights of his game and his scout team have been working since this season – something he believes is important as he embarks on the next step of his journey. Milton knows he will get questions about his knees and his long haircut, as he begins to take an interest in the programs, and he is ready to answer them.
“I’m going to tell them I feel really good, and I’ve got a movie to show in the scout team, all thrown, made throws on the run,” Milton said. “But I will also tell them that I will be fully prepared to participate in the spring balls for the initial job, and by the turn of the season I will be 100 percent ready. I have faith in it. I have nothing to hide. All I have to do is I’ll do it. It’s not something I’m worried about. If it was something I was worried about, I probably wouldn’t have taken this step. “
Milton said he hopes to find a new school in time for the spring semester in January so he can start getting to know his new teammates and coaches. He wants to find a team with a chance to win that has a solid offensive line and needs a te te quarterback, but he won’t rush his decision.
It’s equally important given the strength and conditioning and the medical team that has been around for the past two years. But Milton also says he feels better than before.
“My knee is strong, all the ligaments are completely intact, I am even stronger than before, and I will attack my rehabilitation.” Said Milton. “Even though I’m cleared, I know there’s still some work to be done, just stacking the day after. August Gust is moving around, I know it’s going to be like playing clockwork ball again. I’m really excited for it.”
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