Clemson senior quarterback Kelly Bryant is transferring, he told the Greenville News in an article published Wednesday:
How Kelly Bryant’s transfer works, thanks to 2 NCAA rules working in tandem
With Trevor Lawrence starting, the senior is leaving Clemson. He’s positioned to start somewhere else in 2019.
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
“I feel like it’s what’s best for me and my future,” Bryant said in an exclusive interview with The Greenville News. “I was just going to control what I could control and try to make the most of my opportunity, but at the end of the day, I just don’t feel like I’ve gotten a fair shot.”
The Tigers named five-star freshman and No. 1 overall QB recruit Trevor Lawrence their starter for their Week 5 game against Syracuse, replacing Bryant, who’d started since the beginning of the 2017 season. Bryant doesn’t want to be a backup, he told the paper:
“I was like, ‘I’m not discrediting Trevor. He’s doing everything asked of him, but on my side of it, I feel like I haven’t done anything to not be the starter. I’ve been here. I’ve waited my turn. I’ve done everything y’all have asked me to do, plus more.’
Bryant didn’t practice on Tuesday and had an emotional conversation with Dabo Swinney, the Tigers’ head coach told reporters. Swinney didn’t make it sound like Bryant would transfer, but on Wednesday, the quarterback said himself that he would.
Bryant is the second high-profile Clemson QB to transfer since May 2018, when former five-star Hunter Johnson left the program and then picked Northwestern. Lawrence’s arrival has reshaped the Tigers’ whole depth chart. The Tigers’ new No. 2 quarterback will probably be three-star redshirt freshman Chase Brice, who’s remained in the fold.
Bryant transferring to play elsewhere is only possible because of a new NCAA redshirt rule.
That rule says players can play in up to four games and not be charged a season of eligibility. Bryant’s in his last year of eligibility, but he’s only played four games.
He’s one of a handful of players at major programs to announce a departure for another school after four games of the 2018 season — in an unintended (but not necessarily bad) side effect of a rule the NCAA passed to allow more true freshmen to get onto the field.
Clemson could’ve kept Bryant as the starter for another week before announcing Lawrence would take over. Then he’d have appeared in five games, and 2018 would be guaranteed to be his last season of eligibility, as a senior. A transfer would’ve been off the table.
To the Tigers’ credit, they appear to have been straightforward with their senior QB — who took them to the Playoff last year — instead of jerking him around.
“If I was worried about that or I was deceitful in some way, I could’ve huddled the coaches up and said, ‘Hey, let’s make sure we start him for Syracuse. And that way he’s got no options.’ That’s not how I operate,” Swinney told reporters at his Tuesday press conference. “We don’t operate that way. I’m just trying to do what’s right, and I’m not going to ever apologize for that.”
That quote might read a bit like grandstanding to you, and Swinney’s really done the only decent thing here. But in a sport where coaches so often mess with players’ futures to serve their own short-term needs, Clemson’s handling of Bryant’s situation is notable and good.
Bryant should be able play next year at whatever school he chooses next.
He’ll be a graduate transfer. The NCAA lets transfers play right away at their next school if they’ve graduated from the one they’re leaving.
Wherever he goes, Bryant will be a catch for some team.
He’s not Lawrence, who’s one of the most hyped QB recruits in history. But he’s pretty good in his own right, and he could start for a whole lot of FBS teams.
Bryant had a 147 passer rating in his four 2018 appearances, completing 35 of 53 passes (66 percent) for 8.6 yards per throw, two touchdowns, and an interception.
He’d run 30 times for 144 yards and two more touchdowns. He’s one of the country’s best QBs at not turning the ball over, and his legs are a significant asset in the right offense. They were an asset in Clemson’s office, and he was the Tigers’ top ball-carrier in 2017.
Clemson, of course, will be fine rolling with Lawrence.
He’s a star, and the Tigers’ offense has picked up in recent games with the freshman on the field. While they moved the ball better against Texas A&M when Bryant was at the helm, they’ve hummed more with Lawrence leading them in the last few games:
Through his first four appearances, all coming off the bench behind Bryant, Lawrence was averaging 9.8 yards per attempt with nine touchdown passes and two interceptions.
He’s an elite talent, with better downfield throwing ability than Bryant. If Lawrence stays healthy and plays to anything near his massive potential, he’ll probably be Clemson’s quarterback through 2020 and then become a high NFL draft pick.
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