ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton has spent two years working to achieve what seemed to be an impossible dream. Despite numerous surgeries and a grueling recovery marked by encouraging wins and devastating setbacks, he was determined to play competitive football again.
To realize that dream, Milton announced he is leaving the UCF program and transferring to a school where he has the best chance to earn a starting quarterback job.
The Hawaiian who earned the affection of UCF fans while leading the team to a Peach Bowl win over Auburn decided he did not want to compete with his best friend, prolific Knights starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel, as he pushes to play his final year of college football.
"It's been something I've been thinking about since the beginning of the season — because I knew I was on track to be able to play again," Milton said in a video released by UCF. "I came to Coach (Josh) Heupel during the bye week in November — I didn't want to blindside him at the end of the season. 'With the trajectory of our team, Dillon has earned the right to be our quarterback. And yet I have one shot to chase a dream.
"I told Coach, 'It's hard, one of the hardest things for me to do, but it makes the most sense.' "
Milton spent nearly two years recovering from a horrific knee injury he suffered during the Knights' 2018 regular-season finale against USF at Raymond James Stadium. He was transported to Tampa General Hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair damaged nerves and restore blood flow to his lower right leg. The injury nearly forced doctors to amputate his leg.
His first surgery started less than three hours after the injury, one of the many factors that opened the door to his recovery.
He went through multiple surgeries and one doctor told him 50% of people who suffer the same injury usually have to have the leg amputated because the artery has been too damaged or severed and it's too late to get the blood flow back to the leg.
Milton was in a wheelchair or on crutches for the first five months following the surgery and it wasn't until earlier this year that doctors cleared him to ditch a restrictive brace for a less bulky one that allowed him to increase his physical activities.
He received clearance from his doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota in August to return to practice and recently began working out with the team in full pads. He recently took over as quarterback for the scout team.
"He's a pretty good one," Heupel said when asked how good of a scout team quarterback Milton has been. "It's great to see him out there and playing with bodies around him and doing some of the things he's accustomed to doing before the injury."
"When he started practicing with us, you look over and he's got a smile and balls are zipping everywhere," added co-offensive coordinator Alex Golesh, who joined the UCF coaching staff in December following a stint at Iowa State. "There's a sense of excitement among everyone on the offense. I know for me, seeing him play from afar and now being around him, to see him out there is incredible and humbling in ways because a lot of people said he shouldn't be out there or couldn't be out there.
"It's a credit to him for his perseverance and drive to be able to get back."
Milton's name dots the UCF record books, with the redshirt senior ranked fourth in school history with 8,683 passing yards and 72 passing touchdowns. He's third all-time in total offense with 9,761 yards.
Heupel said he has been inspired by Milton's perseverance.
"You look back to where it started — the injury on the field — at that point you were hoping he would be able to keep his leg," Heupel added. "It's a story of faith, it's a story of the human spirit. I think it's remarkable where it started and where it is currently.
"The best part of that story is that it's not done yet. The complete story hasn't been written. The next hurdle was to be able to walk normally and to live a normal life. Now you're talking about him getting back on the field and competing at the highest level."
Milton is graciously handing the Knights over to Gabriel, emphasizing competing against each other would not be fair to either quarterback.
"It's DG's team now — I feel like the torch is passed. He's gonna take it to a whole 'nother level," he said.
Milton has two years of eligibility left including the one-time waiver by the NCAA this season for playing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
His decision immediately sparked speculation about his future potential destination, with Miami and Florida both linked to the former Heisman candidate.
