Getty Kelly Bryant is transferring from Clemson.
After Trevor Lawrence was officially named Clemson’s starting quarterback, Kelly Bryant announced he is transferring effective immediately. Thanks to the new NCAA rule, Lawrence can transfer and play next season as long as he has not played in more than four games.
This means college football is about to experience a form of free agency this offseason that the sport has not seen in some time with Bryant, Jalen Hurt and other marquee quarterbacks potentially on the transfer market. Bryant announced his decision in an interview with the Greenville News.
“I’ve been with this senior class for four years,” Bryant explained to the Greenville News. “Seeing how much we built and poured into this program, it’s tough to walk away from it,” Bryant said. “But at the same time, I’ve got to do what’s best for me. And I feel like this is the best situation for me.”
Bryant has not announced where he will be transferring, and it will likely be a lengthy process before he makes an announcement. Here’s a look at a few potential landing spots that make sense for Bryant heading into 2019.
Arkansas
The Hogs are being mentioned a lot thanks to Clemson’s former offensive coordinator Chad Morris taking over the program this summer. Arkansas’ current quarterback group has not done enough to separate themselves as a long-term fit in Morris’ system.
Morris already has a relationship with Bryant given he helped recruit him to Clemson. Here is an interesting nugget about Morris and Bryant from a 2017 article written by ESPN’s Mark Schlabach.
In April 2014, only weeks after Bryant was released from the hospital, he verbally committed to play football at Clemson. His cousin, current Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant, had played for the Tigers, and then-offensive coordinator Chad Morris never wavered in his interest, even when Bryant was ill.
Auburn
There is a chance current quarterback Jarrett Stidham is headed to the NFL after this season. This would leave Auburn with a void at quarterback. We have already seen what Guz Malzahn can do with dual-threat quarterbacks as he was the offensive coordinator when Cam Newton led the Tigers to a championship. Stidham transferred to Auburn from Baylor, so the program has already shown a willingness to fill the position from outside.
Florida
Dan Mullen has a history of turning around quarterbacks and has already worked wonders with current Gators quarterback Feleipe Franks. Florida also has Emory Jones waiting in the wings so it may not be the top destination for Bryant if he is looking for guaranteed playing time. According to 247 Sports, Florida was on Bryant’s short list of teams he was considering coming out of high school.
South Carolina
Could Bryant have just a little bit of pettiness in him after being replaced by Lawrence? If he really wanted to stick it to his old team, the easiest way to do it would be to go to rival South Carolina. Bryant is a local South Carolina player, and it would not be farfetched for him to want to stay inside the state.
The Gamecocks are in the process of trying to open up the offense, but it not as far along as some of the other schools on this list. Bryant called the move towards Lawrence a “slap in the face”, and he does not seem to be leaving the program with the highest regard for how things went down.
“They asked me how I felt about it,” Bryant told the Greenville News. “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.’ I’ve never been a distraction. I’ve never been in trouble with anything. To me, it was kind of a slap in the face.”
Oregon
The Ducks may seem like a wild card, but the offense would be a perfect fit for Bryant. Justin Herbert’s NFL stock has never been higher, and it will be difficult for him to turn down the NFL to return to college for another season. Bryant would allow the Oregon program to keep the momentum rolling under new head coach Mario Cristobal. The only question is whether the South Carolina native would want to head to the Pacific Northwest over other options closer to home.