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Clemson senior quarterback Kelly Bryant announced Wednesday morning that he plans to transfer after being recently benched. He will leave the program after a full season of starting, but not without a series of strange comments from head coach Dabo Swinney.
On Monday, Swinney came out and did what everyone expected of him all season long. He named new player Trevor Lawrence as starting the game against Syracuse and probably for the rest of the season. The decision came after Clemson alternated between the two quarters in the first four games; Lawrence has clearly emerged as the best option thanks to an arm that can be described as a gift from God.
As we covered at Deadspin 25 in August, this was largely the expected result based on Lawrence's spring and summer screenings and Bryant's work as a starter. In his only season as a player under center in 2017, Bryant has thrown 13 touchdowns and eight picks, which has not been a big gap, although he has managed to add another 11 points to the floor. However, in the semi-finals of the playoffs against Alabama, Bryant seemed to hit a wall with respect to his ability to push the ball consistently across the field, and ultimately failed to record scores. (In fairness, this is the case with most opponents of Crimson Tide and Swinney's openly covered for the performance of his quarterback in this game.)
Realizing that they had the necessary defense and skills for one (other) title, Swinney took advantage of the off-season and the first four weeks to develop a two-quarter system that allowed him to see defenses. Up to now, the rookie has found the end zone in the air nine times in front of both Bryant and has thrown for 600 yards in 61 attempts. Once again, Bryant is a much superior ground threat and has two scores in his name, but only Lawrence can thread the needle like this:
After Bryant did not attend Tuesday's tests, rumors began to circulate about his transfer, rumors confirmed this morning in an interview with Greenville News. Speaking with the NewThe former, who has already graduated, said that if the decision to leave classmates for four years was difficult, he had to make the best decision for himself, noting his disappointment with the final decision. (Swinney countered by telling VAC reporters, "I do not think this is a great decision for him.)
"They asked me what I thought about it," said Bryant, remembering his meeting with Swinney. "I thought, I do not discredit Trevor. He does everything he is asked to do, but for my part, I feel that I have done nothing to avoid being a starter. I have been here. I waited for my turn. I've done everything you've asked me to do, and more. "
"I have never been a distraction. I have never had a problem with anything. For me, it was a kind of slap.
The reason this discussion even has a third of the season is due to a recent fix in the NCAA: football players can now play up to four matches and be able to transfer without losing a year of play. ;eligibility. This means that as long as Bryant does not intend to play in a snap during the next clash with Orange, or any of the following games, he may request his transfer and play for another program next year. In addition, players no longer need to ask permission to transfer, that is, it is not important for Swinney to think it's a good idea or not. The changes, even though they are still only half a measure to the extent that they allow conferences to set rules for conference transfers, have been great news for athletes.
Now, these rule changes and their immediate ramifications were not exactly a secret – as soon as they came into effect in June, all those who covered or watched college football had their eyes on Jalen Hurts. and Bryant. quarterbacks who have been usurped by younger and objectively superior alternatives. So, it was odd to see Swinney, at multiple press conferences on Wednesday, talk about the quality of a person and a player, Bryant, before deciding to inform Bryant. before the fifth match is a kind of good action from Guy and not something that any reasonable coach and no asshole should do.
"If it worried me or if I was wrong in a certain way, I could get the coaches together and say," Hey, let 's get it started for Syracuse. And like that he has no options. That's not how I operate, said Swinney. "We do not operate that way. I'm just trying to do what's right and I'm never going to excuse myself for that.
"I think Kelly would have continued to help us win and play a lot, but that's not what he wanted to do. I would have certainly been able to start it this week, which would have limited its options, but that's not how we operate. It's not who we are. "
By putting aside Swinney's decision to play the power card for purely selfish reasons, Bryant is, obviously, an extremely talented quarterback who will not have much trouble finding a Power Five team having need a starter. It will now be up to the Tigers' Sunshine doppelgänger to prove that they have made the right decision over the next eight games.
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