Mizzou football: ESPN ranks Bryant in top 5 of QB transfers
Kelly Bryant has had a ‘rock-solid’ start to his Mizzou football career.
Mizzou football needed a quarterback for the 2019 season, and the Tigers found theirs by way of the transfer portal. One of the best, some would say.
The Tigers added Clemson transfer Kelly Bryant to the team.
Through the first four weeks, Bryant and several quarterbacks have suited up for their transfer teams. There have been more than 20 QBs who have seen the field for their respective teams so far this year. ESPN decided to rank all of them in an article released Monday.
In ESPN’s “Ranking all 23 transfer quarterbacks in 2019,” Bryant is among the best, as expected.
The senior tops the list of “Rock-Solid” options, which included Maryland’s Josh Jackson, Tulsa’s Zach Smith and Colorado State’s Patrick O’Brien. Bryant comes in a No. 5, just behind the category of “Immediate Heisman Contenders” and “Mostly Excellent Starts.” The four ahead of Bryant are Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, Washington’s Jacob Eason and SMU’s Shane Buechele.
As for Bryant, he was one of the top “free agents” after deciding to leave Clemson this time last year. ESPN believes if Bryant eliminates some big mistakes, he could jump a couple spots.
"Bryant has already topped former Mizzou starter Drew Lock in one way: He beat Will Muschamp’s South Carolina. The former Clemson starter has been decent and steady, but his biggest issue is that when he makes a mistake, it’s a nuclear-grade error.Bryant had a fumble returned for a TD and threw a red zone interception in Missouri’s upset loss to Wyoming in Week 1, and another pick set up a 1-yard scoring drive for South Carolina on Saturday. If Bryant makes normal-grade mistakes moving forward, the Tigers, with an outstanding defense, could win a lot of games."
He joined the Mizzou football team in order to work with offensive coordinator Derek Dooley and improve as a quarterback.
Bryant is 31st in the country in total QBR. He has completed 65 percent of his passes, going 82 of 126 for 1,025 yards. Bryant has eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
He found his groove on the ground in his first SEC game last weekend. Bryant ran for 77 yards on 17 carries, giving him a total of 143 yards on the season. Bryant struggled a bit in the South Carolina win, but solid is a good description for September.
He did have two big turnovers against Wyoming, but he almost brought the team back with a big fourth quarter. Had Bryant found the end zone on his final drive, the narrative to the early season would be better, and he probably would rank in the top three of transfer quarterbacks.
It still is possible he sees that ranking, but he’ll have to play a little better in October than he did this month. For now, No. 5 seems appropriate.