Bryant chooses Missouri
Former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant announced on Twitter Tuesday he will transfer to Missouri for the
2019-20 season, his final year of eligibility.
Bryant reportedly narrowed his list down to Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State, Missouri and North Carolina, meeting with coaches from all five of his finalists in the final week before his decision. He spent the weekend in Auburn, Ala., on an official visit.
First-year Arkansas head coach Chad Morris reportedly led an in-home visit with Bryant on Thursday. Morris was the offensive coordinator at Clemson when Bryant was recruited to play for the Tigers.
Morris never coached Bryant, leaving Clemson for the head coaching job at SMU. Morris had a 14-22 record in three seasons with the Mustangs before accepting the position at Arkansas a year ago.
Clemson was 16-2 with Bryant as the starting quarterback, making the College Football Playoff a year ago. The Tigers were 12-1 as champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference until losing, 24-6, to eventual national champion Alabama in the CFP semifinals.
Bryant was 262-for-398, 65.8 percent, passing for 2,802 yards and 13 touchdowns with eight interceptions. He also ran for
665 yards and 11 more touchdowns.
Clemson (13-0) was 4-0 when head coach Dabo Swin-
ney made the decision this season to go with freshman Trevor Lawrence as the starting quarterback. Bryant took advantage of a new NCAA rule which allows players to participate in as many as four games and maintain a year of eligibility.
Bryant was 36-for-54, 66.7 percent, passing for 461 yards and two touchdowns with one interception before announcing he would transfer. He ran 30 times in the first four games for 130 yards and two touchdowns.
Morris was hailed as an offensive innovator in Texas high school football, amassing a 169-38 record with three state championships before advancing to Clemson. Arkansas (2-10,
0-8 Southeastern Conference) slumped to last place in scoring offense in the SEC in Morris’ first season, averaging just
21.67 points on 335.67 yards per game, which was only ranked ahead of Tennessee (5-7, 2-6).
Senior Drew Lock spent most of the last four seasons as the starting quarterback for Missouri, throwing for 11,820 yards, 96 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. The Tigers (84, 4-4) are matched up in the Liberty Bowl with Big 12 opponent, Oklahoma State (6-6, 3-6) on Dec. 31 in Memphis, Tenn.
Missouri gained a second graduate transfer on Tuesday when former Arkansas receiver Jonathan Nance announced shortly after Bryant he was also committing to the Tigers. Nance led the Razorbacks with 539 yards on 33 receptions with five touchdowns in 2017 after arriving in Fayetteville as the less heralded of two receivers from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He left the team this season after recording no catches through the first four games.
Morris and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock also conducted an in-home visit on Monday with North Panola quarterback K.J. Jefferson in Mississippi. The high school senior is the only quarterback currently committed to Arkansas for the class of 2019. He reportedly received offers from Georgia, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Missouri, among others.
Jefferson committed to the Razorbacks in May before leading his team to the Class 3A state semifinals and an 11-2 record. He was 166-for-275, 60.4 percent, passing in his senior season for 3,180 yards and 37 touchdowns with eight interceptions. He also ran for 916 yards and three touchdowns.