The Recruiting Guy

Arkansas fans and coaches give Bryant a good vibe

Hawgs Illustrated/BEN GOFF 
Kelly Bryant, former Clemson quarterback, makes an official visit during the Arkansas vs Tulsa game Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
Hawgs Illustrated/BEN GOFF Kelly Bryant, former Clemson quarterback, makes an official visit during the Arkansas vs Tulsa game Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

— Arkansas rolled out the red carpet for former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant and he liked what he experienced on his official visit.

“It was a really good visit,” Bryant said. “I really enjoyed it from the first second I got here. I love the scenery around the campus, the game, talking to the coaches, it was a really good visit.”

Bryant (6-3, 225 pounds) announced he was transferring from Clemson after losing his starting job to freshman Trevor Lawrence four games into this season. He’s expected to finish classes at Clemson and be a graduate transfer and enroll at his new school in January and be eligible to play immediately in 2019.

The Razorback fans made him feel at home so much so he was seen calling the Hogs at Saturday’s 23-0 victory over Tulsa.

“It made me feel wanted,” Bryant said. “Kind of felt at home. I heard from all the coaches how crazy all the fans get, but you really don’t know until you see it. That was probably one of the most special moments and one of the highlights of the visit. I picked up on the hog call, I was confused at first about what they were saying, but I got it after a few tries.”

Bryant, who was recruited by Arkansas Coach Chad Morris when Morris was offensive coordinator at Clemson, was one of the better quarterbacks in 2017 when he completed 262 of 398 passes for 2,802 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also rushed for 665 yards and 11 touchdowns.

He liked what he saw on the field Saturday.

“They’ve got all the pieces here,” Bryant said. “I feel like if I was to come here I could maybe make a spark, but I feel like all the pieces are around here. I’ve just got to sit down and make sure I dot all my I’s cross all my Ts, if I come here I need to make sure I’m making the most out of my opportunity.”

He visited North Carolina the previous weekend and has plans to officially visit Missouri next weekend. Bryant likes the chemistry with offensive coordinator Joe Craddock.

“He was at Clemson with Coach Morris, so there’s a really good connection there,” Bryant said. “He’s a really great dude, he knows a lot, very knowledgeable.”

Bryant has stated his respect for Morris, who he said was upfront during the recruiting process out of high school. Morris told Bryant he might not be at Clemson when he arrived.

“It means a lot that Morris was honest with me,” Bryant said. “I’ve said this that through this process, I don’t want to be recruited, I want to be told the situation from the jump because I’ve been through that phase. I’ve only got one year left. Just talking to Coach Morris, he’s always been the same guy, even when he was at other places. It just means a lot, that trust factor. Knowing that you can trust a coach and the coaching staff means a lot.”

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