Kelly Bryant may transfer out of Clemson after losing starting job to Trevor Lawrence
There isn’t a quarterback controversy at Clemson anymore. Trevor Lawrence is the team’s starter and Kelly Bryant may be headed elsewhere.
Dabo Swinney’s decision to name Trevor Lawrence as his starting quarterback is going to impact Clemson in quite a few ways. The most immediate consequence may be losing Kelly Bryant to a school willing to hand him their starting job.
Bryant missed practice on Monday, and now reports are breaking that he and Swinney engaged in an “emotional” discussion today. Rumors are swirling around the Clemson program that Bryant may be looking to transfer to a school where he has a better chance of being the starter.
Remember, recent NCAA rule changes now allow players like Bryant, who have only played in four games, to redshirt. That means Bryant can transfer to another school without losing this year of eligibility. That means other schools can still recruit Bryant with the idea that he can be their starter for the entire 2019 season.
JUST IN: Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he had an "emotional" discussion with QB Kelly Bryant, which may have included the possibility of a transfer. Bryant was not at practice Monday.
— CFB Home (@CFBHome) September 25, 2018
Clemson named true freshman Trevor Lawrence starting QB yesterday.
Situations like Bryant’s weren’t the intention of the rule, but that’s beside the point. Expect to see a lot of quarterbacks start to make this kind of choice when they get supplanted by a younger player. That, in and of itself, isn’t a new phenomenon. What is new, is the fact that a senior like Bryant can make the choice and extend his career by an additional season.
If Bryant does decide to leave, expect quite a few programs to be very interested in bringing him to their respective campus. He will qualify as a graduate transfer which means he’ll be immediately eligible in 2019. Bryant isn’t the most dynamic quarterback, but he is, at the very least, a very competent starting quarterback. He got beat out by a special talent at Clemson, his demotion wasn’t the result of poor play on his part.
The real loser here could easily end up being Clemson. Lawrence is definitely a better quarterback than Bryant. He deserves to be the Tigers starter. Losing Bryant will leave Swinney’s team really thin at the quarterback position though. If Lawrence goes down to injury then Clemson’s season could take a quick turn in a negative direction.
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Bryant is a player to keep a close eye on as the week progresses. It’s not a certainty that he’s leaving Clemson, but all signs are pointing in that direction at the moment.