Why Kelly Bryant is a Star in the Making

by John Taylor

Ever since Tajh Boyd, Clemson has run a pretty basic offense. No huddle to make the defense tired, run short quick routes, and let the athletic wide receivers make big time plays. It worked perfectly under Tajh Boyd and Deshaun Watson, but when Bryant came, it didn’t feel the same. This offense is supposed to be built around quarterbacks who can consistently complete passes, run the ball well on options, and succeed through their teammates; but that’s not the type of player Bryant is.

As a South Carolina fan it hurts me to say, but I’ve been a fan of Kelly Bryant ever since he became the starter. Last year, he completed a little over 65% of his passes for 2800 yards and 13 touchdowns. However, his most impressive stat is his rushing ability, rushing for 665 yards and 11 touchdowns in an offense where most of his runs were in the red zone. He’s an explosive player and the problem doesn’t have to do with him, it’s Dabo’s inability to change the scheme. Bryant is not the guy who will sit in the pocket and make every throw consistently. He’s a Lamar Jackson style player who needs to make his own plays by scrambling and finding breaks in the defense. For some reason, Dabo wouldn’t let Bryant show his full potential last year and eventually, he fell short of expectations. Now with the insertion of a once in a lifetime player in Trevor Lawrence, Dabo doesn’t feel the need to change anything and now essentially forcing Bryant to transfer.

True freshman, Trevor Lawrence, takes over after Bryant started for 18 games straight. Image from Clemson Athletics. 

Personally, I think Lawrence can become the best quarterback in college football in the next two years, but they would have been better off switching up the offense this year and letting Bryant show what he is truly capable of. Bryant was listed in high school to have run a 4.5 forty, faster than players such as Tim Tebow, Johnny Manziel, and Cam Newton. Many teams in college football are leaning on that dual threat quarterback and Bryant is about as dangerous as it can get. With his ability to throw it downfield and his crazy wheels, he had the ability to carry Clemson to the National Championship, but Dabo was scared to take a risk. Now with many schools rumoring to be his next destination like Florida, Ole Miss, or even an FCS school, he can finally show what he is truly capable of.

Bryant will make some noise wherever he ends up. Image from USA Today.

John is a junior government major at Wofford College. He’s an avid college football fan and would literally do anything to see Carolina win a national championship.