Kelly Bryant has every right to leave Clemson in hopes of becoming a starter somewhere else, but he is wrong to say the Tigers didn’t give him a fair shot.
The writing’s been on the wall all season for Kelly Bryant. The minute Trevor Lawrence stepped foot on the Clemson campus the veteran’s days as the starting quarterback were almost certainly numbered. In a move that shouldn’t surprise anyone, Bryant is going to transfer in an attempt to find a starting job for his final year of collegiate eligibility.
No Clemson fan should begrudge Bryant for leaving in hopes of becoming a starter again. All fans want their players to be competitive. Part of that means players will leave their programs when they believe it’s in their best interest. That’s clearly what Bryant is doing here.
That doesn’t mean Bryant’s behavior regarding this situation is beyond approach. In fact, there’s one specific comment he made to the media that should have everyone associated with the Clemson program up in arms. Bryant told reporters that he doesn’t feel like he’s gotten a “fair shot” to win the job this season. That idea is complete and utter nonsense.
It’s obvious to see that Dabo Swinney gave Bryant every opportunity to hang on to the job early in the season. Remember, Bryant began the year as the team’s starter. Even when Lawrence was clearly the more productive quarterback, Clemson’s head coach stuck by his veteran starter.
Lawrence didn’t get his first start until Bryant went down with an injury against Georgia Southern. Once he got the chance to lead the team it was all over for Bryant. Putting Lawrence back on the bench would have been like trying to put toothpaste back into the tube. It would have been very messy and not worth the effort.
When you look at the statistics between Bryant and Lawrence it’s obvious the freshman should be playing every down. It’s not that Bryant has been bad, it’s just that Lawrence has been a revelation. The freshman has thrown nine touchdowns and two interceptions on just 60 pass attempts. Bryant has thrown the ball 54 times on the season for two touchdowns and one interception.
It’s more than just the numbers though. When you watch Lawrence play it’s clear he has something special. Some quarterbacks just have the innate ability to elevate the offense around them. Lawrence has that. In sharp contrast, Bryant is just a caretaker. He can run the offense effectively and efficiently, but he can’t make the special plays that can help Clemson with a national title.
After all, that’s the goal for Swinney and this program moving forward. Conference championships aren’t good enough for Clemson anymore. Bryant could lead them to another ACC title, but his limited abilities would be exposed in the College Football Playoff.
In the end, Bryant will almost certainly find a school that will give him every chance to win the starting quarterback job next season. He might even win the competition. He had the same opportunity at Clemson this season. Bryant was just beaten out by a special talent.