John Rhys Plumlee Bio
John Rhys Plumlee (born January 2, 2001) is an American professional football player who has lined up at both quarterback and wide receiver across multiple professional stops. A native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, he is best known for his dual-threat ability as a passer and runner, and he also played center field in college baseball for two programs. As of the 2025 season, Plumlee has spent time on practice squads and active rosters of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Seattle Seahawks.
Standing 6 feet 0 inches tall and listed around 200 pounds, Plumlee went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft out of the University of Central Florida (UCF), where he finished his college career as a starting quarterback. His professional path has moved quickly, with several transactions inside a single calendar year, and he remains an active football player entering the UFL spring football season.
Early Life and Background
John Rhys (pronounced “Rice”) Plumlee was born to Denton and Lori Plumlee on January 2, 2001, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He grew up in Hattiesburg and attended Oak Grove High School, where he played both baseball and football. Plumlee has an older sister, Rhyan, and a younger sister, Reese, both of whom were standouts on the Oak Grove High School volleyball team.
He became the Warriors’ starting quarterback as a sophomore. As a junior, he passed for 1,759 yards, 14 touchdowns, and nine interceptions and rushed for 599 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games, and was named to the “Dandy Dozen” by The Clarion-Ledger. In baseball that same year, he batted .442 with 35 runs batted in (RBIs) and 38 runs scored in 27 games. Rated a four-star recruit, Plumlee initially committed to play college football at Georgia during the summer before his senior year.
In his senior season, Plumlee completed 187 of 291 passes (64.3 percent) for 2,834 yards with 33 touchdown passes and three interceptions, while also rushing for 1,444 yards and 19 touchdowns on 162 carries (8.9 yards per carry), leading Oak Grove to a Southern State championship before a loss to Horn Lake High School. He finished his high school career with 5,430 passing yards, 2,314 rushing yards, and 82 total touchdowns across three seasons. He also batted .411 with 39 hits, 45 runs scored, seven doubles, five triples, two home runs, and 24 RBIs in 29 games as a senior, earning 2019 5A/6A All-State honors. Plumlee de-committed from Georgia shortly before National Signing Day to accept a scholarship to play both football and baseball at Ole Miss.
Path to American Football
Plumlee arrived at Ole Miss in 2019 as a true freshman and quickly earned the backup quarterback job behind starter Matt Corral. He made his collegiate debut against the California Golden Bears after an injury to Corral, completing all seven of his passes for 82 yards and rushing three times for 53 yards in a near-comeback that ended at the opposing one-yard line. He started the following week against the Alabama Crimson Tide, completing 35.7 percent of his passes for 141 yards with two touchdowns and one interception and rushing 109 yards with one score in a 59–31 loss.
By the end of his freshman season, Plumlee had set Ole Miss records for rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and total touchdowns by a freshman, while also setting the school’s season rushing record for a quarterback. He also played center field for the Ole Miss baseball team as a freshman before the 2020 season was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. In his sophomore year he continued to be used in package plays on offense and lined up at wide receiver in the 2021 Outback Bowl, catching five passes for 73 yards against Indiana.
Entering his junior season, Plumlee was listed as a wide receiver and finished with 19 receptions for 201 yards and 72 rushing yards on nine carries before announcing he would enter the transfer portal after the 2022 Sugar Bowl. He committed to UCF on January 9, 2022, and was named the Knights’ starting quarterback going into the 2022 season, completing 18 of 22 passes for 373 yards and four touchdowns while rushing seven times for 37 yards and three scores in a 70–13 win over Temple, tying a school record with seven total touchdowns. At UCF he also returned to baseball, batting .286 with 11 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 43 runs scored, 32 RBIs, and a team-leading 18 stolen bases in 2023.
John Rhys Plumlee Career
Early Career (2024)
Plumlee signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent on April 27, 2024, going undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft after his senior season at UCF. He was later selected by the Arlington Renegades with the third overall pick in the 2024 UFL draft on July 17, but was waived on August 27, 2024, before the spring season tipped off.
On August 30, 2024, he was signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad, where he remained until being released on November 12. Eleven days later, on November 20, 2024, Plumlee signed with the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad, beginning a stretch of regular movement among NFL practice squads as he tried to lock down a stable professional home.
Pittsburgh Steelers Breakthrough (2024–2025)
Plumlee’s first extended stay in the NFL came after the Pittsburgh Steelers signed him as an undrafted free agent in late April 2024, putting him on a path that would later include a return to the organization. Although he was waived before the regular season, the connection set the stage for a second stint in Pittsburgh later in his career.
Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks Era (2024–2025)
With Jacksonville, Plumlee spent time on the practice squad in the fall of 2024 before his release in mid-November. He quickly landed with the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad on November 20, 2024, and on January 2, 2025, was signed to Seattle’s active roster as a wide receiver, marking his first regular-season NFL roster placement.
On August 26, 2025, Plumlee was waived by the Seahawks with an injury designation as part of final roster cuts, ending his time in Seattle. The transaction was part of a series of moves that have defined his first two professional seasons, with Plumlee rotating between practice squads and active rosters as teams evaluated his versatility at both quarterback and wide receiver.
Pittsburgh Steelers Era (2025–Present)
On October 29, 2025, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Plumlee to their practice squad, bringing him back to the organization that first signed him out of college. He was waived on November 4 before being re-signed to the practice squad on November 18, 2025. On January 14, 2026, he signed a reserve/futures contract with Pittsburgh before being released on April 28, paving the way for his next professional move.
Driving Style and Strengths
Plumlee’s calling card is his dual-threat skill set built through years as both a passer and a runner. His high school and college track record shows a player who can produce explosive rushing totals out of the quarterback position while also developing into a reliable pass catcher in space. His baseball background has helped with hand-eye coordination, route timing, and body control, all of which translate to his work as a wide receiver at the professional level.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the most memorable moments of Plumlee’s career came on April 14, 2023, when he went viral for participating in both a UCF baseball game and a spring football game on the same day. In the 12–3 baseball win over Memphis he went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs, and at the football game he threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns, including a 70-yard scoring pass. He also tied a UCF school record with seven total touchdowns against Temple on October 13, 2022.
John Rhys Plumlee Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Plumlee comes from a close-knit family in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he was raised by his parents, Denton and Lori Plumlee. He has an older sister, Rhyan, and a younger sister, Reese, both of whom excelled in volleyball at Oak Grove High School. The family’s support allowed Plumlee to pursue two sports simultaneously at a high level, and he has credited his parents for backing his decision to play both football and baseball at Ole Miss.
Personal Life
Plumlee remains a resident of the United States and continues to be represented publicly on social media, where fans have followed his journey through multiple NFL practice squad stints. He is not publicly known to be married, and details about a spouse or children have not been confirmed in reliable sources.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a transitional year for Plumlee, beginning with his promotion from the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad to the active roster on January 2, 2025, where he was listed as a wide receiver. He remained with Seattle through the offseason program and into training camp before being waived on August 26, 2025, with an injury designation as part of final roster cuts.
After clearing waivers, Plumlee returned to the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 29, 2025, when he was signed to their practice squad. He was waived on November 4 and re-signed on November 18, a familiar pattern of short stints that reflects the margins of an NFL roster. The year also included a reserve/futures contract signed on January 14, 2026, followed by his release on April 28.
Looking ahead, Plumlee’s next opportunity came on May 2, 2026, when he was signed by the Houston Gamblers of the United Football League (UFL), where he is expected to compete for snaps as a quarterback and wide receiver. His 2025 campaign underscored his value as a versatile two-sport athlete, and his UFL signing gives him a fresh platform to showcase the arm talent and rushing ability that defined his college career.