ORLANDO - A half-dozen UCF football standouts—running back Isaiah Bowser, tight end Kemore Gamble, offensive tackle Tylan Grable, wide receiver Ryan O'Keefe, quarterback John Rhys Plumlee and safety Divaad Wilson—have been named to the watch list for the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl all-star game (Feb. 4, 2023, in Mobile, Alabama).
Bowser (159 carries for 703 yards, 9 TDs in 2021; 9 receptions for 75 yards) is a tough, physical, downhill runner with the elusiveness to confound defenses. He began 2021 with 172 rushing yards in the season-opening comeback win over Boise State, finished it with 155 yards versus Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl—and had 55 more rushing carries than any other Knight. He graduated from Northwestern in 2021.
Gamble, a transfer from Florida, played the 2017-21 seasons (49 games) for Gators with 48 receptions for 632 yards
and seven TDs. He started 12 games at tight end for Florida in 2021, making 31 receptions for 414 yards and tied for
the team lead with four TD catches. He had one reception for 15 in the Gasparilla Bowl vs. UCF. He graduated from
Florida in 2021.
Grable, a transfer from Jacksonville State, is a former All-America offensive lineman and unanimous pick on the
ASUN Conference all-league squad for 2021. He was a second-team AFCA FCS All-American in fall 2020/spring
2021 as well as first-team all-Ohio Valley Conference.
Pacing the UCF wide receivers is O'Keefe (84 receptions for 812 yards, 7 TDs; 16 rushes for 274 yards, 1 TD; 2nd-team all-AAC in 2021 by vote of league coaches and by Pro Football Network), who caught more passes in 2021 than any UCF player in 15 seasons. O'Keefe capped his junior campaign by winning the MVP award in the Knights' Gasparilla Bowl win over Florida, thanks to his 255 all-purpose yards.
Plumlee, a transfer from Ole Miss, has been designated UCF's starting quarterback to begin the 2022 campaign. He started eight games at quarterback in 2019 at Ole Miss, setting the freshman rushing record with five 100-yard games, then played wide receiver for the Rebels in 2020 and 2021.
Wilson was second-team all-AAC in 2021 by vote of league coaches. He started 12 games in 2021 (all but Navy)
and ranked fourth in tackles for UCF with 72. A transfer from Georgia, he graduated from UCF in 2022.
Here are UCF players who have appeared to date on watch lists for the 2022 national college football awards:
--RB Isaiah Bowser (Doak Walker, Danny Wuerffel and Senior Bowl)
--RB Johnny Richardson (Doak Walker)
--WR Ryan O'Keefe (Fred Biletnikoff, Paul Hornung, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose and Senior Bowl)
--C Matt Lee (Rimington)
--TE Kemore Gamble (John Mackey and Senior Bowl)
--CB Davonte Brown (Jim Thorpe)
--OL Lokahi Pauole (Outland)
--S Divaad Wilson (Nagurski and Senior Bowl)
--P Andrew Osteen (Ray Guy)
--LS Alex Ward (Mannelly)
--OL Lokahi Pauole (Polynesian)
--QB John Rhys Plumlee (Senior Bowl)
--OL Tylan Grable (Senior Bowl)
