Article by Antwon "Smitty" Smith
I can't honestly say that there was about to be a shake up in Death Valley but Trevor Lawrence is now the starting QB for the Clemson Tigers, which means Kelly Bryant is now the back up. It immediately entered my mind, what now Kelly Bryant? Will you be a back up to finish your career or use your eligibility for one more season? Well the answer came pretty quickly and it was no surprise at all. Kelly Bryant will transfer, ending his 2018 season.
It's the same old sad love song for the former Clemson QB as he sat behind championship QB DeShaun Watson for 2 seasons awaiting his chance in the bright lights. His chance came in 2017, but that seems so long ago as the starting nod was snatched from his hands. Trevor Lawrence has preformed well up to this point (600 pass yards, 9 touchdowns in 4 games) which made the decision tough for coach Sweeney.
Bryant expressed his feelings in a long conversation with coach Dabo Sweeney after the QB move:
"I'm not discrediting Trevor, He's doing everything that's 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 awaited my turn. I've done everything you've 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."
Bryant who stirred up Heisman talk in his first season as a starter, carried the Tigers to a college football playoff birth, where they would fall to eventual champion Alabama. However, this season he was splitting time with Lawrence, which made it an open completion to see who would get the role as starter.
He was 16-2 as a starter while at Clemson and put up decent numbers as well. Here are his numbers:
Career stats at Clemson
Comp% : 66.1
Comp/Att: 310/469
Passing yards: 3,333
Passing touchdowns: 16
Interceptions: 10
Rushing attempts: 257
Rushing Yards: 987
Rushing Touchdowns: 16
Yards per carry: 3.5
Bryant earned another year of eligibility, by not making himself available for the Syracuse game or the rest of the 2018 season. He will be eligible where ever he chooses to suit up in 2019. The NCAA changed eligibility rules pushing it to 4 games, before a player loses it for an entire year.
On the other hand will this move cost Sweeney recruits down the road? Comment in the box below.....
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