What Missouri probation means for Bryant
The news of Missouri’s football program being hit with a postseason ban for the 2019 season raised the question about the future of former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant, who enrolled with the school as a graduate transfer with one final season of eligibility.
The postseason ban doesn’t impact his original decision to transfer: Bryant was looking for the opportunity to start on the Power Five level after losing his job to Trevor Lawrence, who as a true freshman led Clemson to the national championship.
Missouri was an attractive location because of senior Drew Lock’s departure and the Tigers’ lack of proven in-house options to promote as his successor.
In that sense, Missouri and its productive offense could still give Bryant the chance to prove himself at quarterback in the nation’s deepest conference.
While not viewed as up to Lock’s standard as a passer, Bryant would take over a scheme that ranked in the Southeastern Conference’s top three in passing yards in each of the top three seasons.
As the starter at Clemson in 2017, Bryant completed 65.8 percent of his attempts with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in leading the Tigers to the College Football Playoff. In a handful of starts this past season before being replaced by Lawrence and announcing his intent to transfer, Bryant threw for 461 yards and two TDs.
In comparison, Lock led the Bowl Subdivision with 44 passing touchdowns in 2017 and accounted for 79 total scores across his final two seasons as the starter.
Bryant might give Missouri’s offense a different look as a runner, however. Bryant ran for 665 yards and 11 touchdowns as the starter in 2017, showing the sort of athleticism that could provide a contrast to Lock’s more standard, pocket-passing style.
Multiple reports indicate Bryant at this point plans to stay with Missouri. He could revisit that decision, though.
NCAA rules state that Bryant could still land at another program without penalty and participate in the 2019 season.
According to Bylaw 14.7.2 (c), the NCAA “may waive the one-year residence requirement” for student-athletes at an institution placed on probation from “participating in postseason competition during all of the remaining seasons of the student-athlete’s eligibility.”
In addition, the Division I Committee on Infractions recommended that Missouri waive the restrictions on all seniors who wish to transfer.
That leaves the decision up to Bryant, whose decision would also be impacted by the fact it’s too late to transfer into any Football Bowl Subdivision program in time to participate in spring drills.
That means he wouldn’t join another program until the summer, at which point it might be too late to grasp another offensive system and rise to the top of the depth chart before the start of the season.