Clemson Tigers: Trevor Lawrence forces Kelly Bryant out

The Clemson Tigers no longer have a quarterback issue on their hands, as Trevor Lawrence’s high level of play has forced Kelly Bryant out.

The Clemson Tigers’ quarterback issue has been dealt with permanently as Kelly Bryant has reportedly informed the team of his intentions to transfer, paving the way for true freshman Trevor Lawrence to take over on a full-time basis with no one over his shoulder.

Through the first four games of the season, both quarterbacks have racked up over 600 yards of offense for the Tigers but Bryant led just eight scoring drives compared to a whopping 15 from Lawrence.

Lawrence, a Tennessee native, has been very good in what has essentially amounted to a four-game audition throwing nine touchdown passes compared to just two interceptions and proving his efficiency at a very young age.

Bryant is a senior and by transferring now apparently will salvage his final season of eligibility, which is why he’s leaving the team during the season. I’m not so sure Bryant is correct in stating he never had a ‘fair chance’ at this position but you can’t argue with how he feels.

There will be a plethora of opportunities for Bryant out there, so he will undoubtedly land on his feet, but Lawrence is the guy capable of helping Clemson win more games as a pure passer and he’s proving to be well beyond his years.

Dabo Swinney is obviously banking on Lawrence having what it takes in those big moments throughout the season to do what we all saw Tu’a Tagovailoa do in last year’s National Championship game when he came in at halftime and showed so much poise as a young player, leading his team to victory.

This situation says more about Lawrence than it does Bryant, who is a good player and will be a highly coveted graduate transfer. Lawrence was a five-star prospect and considered among the best players in the entire country coming out of high school. He showed the coaching staff rather quickly that he’s got what it takes to play right away, so a year of sitting on the sidelines wasn’t needed.

Lawrence can help this Clemson team win right now. Clemson is allowing Bryant to go somewhere and showcase himself for a full season in 2019 rather than having him split time with Lawrence the rest of the year. He didn’t do what was necessary to separate himself from the freshman, so it’s best for all parties to move on.