Jack Plummer, Louisville's veteran QB, looks to improve in final college football season

There’s not much that Jack Plummer doesn’t already know.

The 23-year-old is at his third school and going into his sixth year of college football after first signing with Purdue in 2017. He’s gained a wealth of knowledge, some gray hair and a mustache along the way. And after throwing for more than 3,000 yards in his lone season at California, Plummer is reuniting with former Boilermakers coach Jeff Brohm at Louisville for one more run.

Plummer’s addition to the team enforces Brohm’s win-now mentality. He's familiar with the system, with four years of experience with Brohm. And Plummer, in his final year of eligibility with a goal of reaching the NFL, has every intention of winning this season as well.

Brian Brohm, the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach who worked with Plummer at Purdue, said the veteran gives the Cardinals the presence of another coach — one whose input on the field is often just as important as the coaches on the sideline.

“He understands football,” Brian Brohm said. “He understands coverages, defenses, fronts, blitzes to the point where he can correct us coaches sometimes, where he sees something and we go, 'You know what? You're right. We were wrong,' quite a bit."

Still, with his sights set on a pro future, Plummer has more room for growth. This season, consistency and leadership will be key as he looks to help guide Louisville's offense.

“It's showtime for Jack,” Brian Brohm said. “We're excited to have him on our side and to be able to work with him and develop him. … We're looking forward to a big year from him.”

Since the moment he stepped on campus, he’s embraced the role. Freshman Pierce Clarkson, a midyear enrollee, said Plummer had served as a mentor who helped him learn the playbook.

Plummer also took an active role in getting to know the receivers over the summer in player-led meetings. They reviewed the playbook in those sessions and and voluntarily took time on the field to work on plays.

Offensive lineman Eric Miller, another newcomer in Louisville this season, noticed Plummer's improved leadership right away.

Miller and Plummer were part of Purdue’s 2018 signing class and lived together for three of the four years Plummer was a Boilermaker. Now at Louisville, Plummer has been an "incredible leader," he said, as he's worked with the team to master the offensive system.

“Guys respond to him," Miller said. "In terms of his play style, he can do everything on the field. He can make every throw, he can run, he can make plays with his legs. ... It's been exciting to see him grow from the last time I saw him really, two years ago to now.”

The 2021 season was the last time Miller and Plummer played together. Miller started in all 13 games to help Purdue average 355.4 passing yards per game, good for No. 5 nationally. Plummer was the Boilermakers’ starting quarterback at the beginning of the season but struggled with injuries and only played in nine games, with 864 passing yards and a 68.5% completion percentage to go along with seven touchdowns and no picks. At California the next season, the threw for 3,095 yards and 21 scores on a 62.5% completion rate.

The numbers look good. But Plummer wants to be more consistent.

His goal this season is to put together four full quarters of high-caliber play in every game. The process started during training camp, where Plummer said establishing consistency began with treating every rep like it was a real gain, maintaining his focus and working to not repeat mistakes.

With the Cardinals’ season opener quickly approaching, the spotlight will be on Plummer as he looks to put everything he’s learned together and lead Louisville’s offense in his final year of college football.

“He's got to play efficient, smart football, be a leader, be tough and be able to handle the adversity that comes up,” Jeff Brohm said. “He's been battle tested a great deal at this point and that's much harder to teach than you think. You kind of have to go through it, and he has. So, I would hope that we can help him have a great last year and he can help this football team win games.”

From fall camp: Who's Louisville's fastest running back? A tough question – and a good problem to have

Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville QB Jack Plummer aims to improve in last run with Jeff Brohm