How much better does Kelly Bryant make Missouri?
Kelly Bryant has found a new home in the SEC to finish his college career.
From one Tigers to another. Kelly Bryant led the Clemson Tigers to the College Football Playoff in 2017 and he’ll look to lead the Missouri Tigers to new heights after announcing his transfer destination.
Bryant was the hottest college free agent after leaving Clemson after Dabo Swinney told him he was losing his starting quarterback job to true freshman Trevor Lawrence, last year’s No. 1 overall recruit. As a graduate transfer, Bryant is eligible to play right away. With his commitment revealed, Bryant should be able to join the program for the spring semester and begin preparations for spring football.
He announced his transfer with a video on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/KellyB125/status/1070107455043133441
The decision and the impact
Bryant picked Missouri over Auburn, Arkansas, Miami and North Carolina who were among the schools he considered after leaving Clemson. Bryant had 13 touchdowns passing and 11 rushing after taking over for Deshaun Watson who left for the NFL after leading Clemson to the national championship. He lost his job after prior to the Syracuse game in Week 5 and left school the following day.
The addition of Bryant gives head coach Barry Odom and offensive coordinator Derek Dooley a proven starter with experience in the biggest games. Bryant will again be replacing a long-time starter who put up record-breaking numbers for the program as Drew Lock who is expected to be one of the first quarterbacks taken in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Missouri’s offense flourished last year in the first year under Dooley. The Tigers went 8-4, winning four straight to close the year. They ranked in the top 20 in yards and points per game and return seven starters on that offense that Bryant will now direct.
2019 prognosis
Missouri was a big surprise this year, finishing fourth in the SEC East and rallying to finish as the No. 23 team. The East figures to be ultra-competitive next year with Georgia at the top, Florida as the top challenger and Missouri looking to make it a three-team competition.
The 2019 schedule sets up favorably for Missouri to potentially be 8-0 before their Nov. 9 game at Georgia. They’ll follow that up with Florida the next week. That’ll easily be the toughest stretch of the season, but it’s a good thing that it won’t happen until November.
By that time, Bryant will have eight games under his belt to get acclimated to the offense and for his teammates to get comfortable with him. Michigan lost to Notre Dame in their season opener with Shea Patterson making his first start since transferring from Ole Miss. He struggled and didn’t look comfortable but he got more comfortable with each week and looked markedly improved by November. Missouri fans will hope Bryant can be a quick study in this offense and make a long-lasting impact on Missouri during his one year on campus.
With Bryant, Missouri has a real chance to win 10 games.