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Kelly Bryant was 16-2 over a season and a quarter as Clemson University’s starting quarterback, and that just was not good enough for the No. 3 Tigers (4-0) and coach Dabo Swinney.

So Swinney decided to bench the senior and play freshman Trevor Lawrence.

Your move, Kelly. And Kelly’s move was to, well, move. He’s leaving the program to play another season somewhere else. The NCAA’s new rule that allows a redshirt season if a player takes part in four games or less will allow him to do so.

“I feel like it’s what’s best for me and my future,” Bryant told The Greenville News on Wednesday morning. “I was just going to control what I could control and try to make the most of my opportunity, but at the end of the day, I just don’t feel like I’ve gotten a fair shot.”

Well, 18 games is probably a fair shot. And the coach is allowed to make the decisions as to who plays and who does not. Jalen Hurts was 16-2 as Alabama’s quarterback, but he’s now behind Tua Tagavailoa on the depth chart.

Swinney complimented Bryant endlessly in talking about him, but he would not bend on the issue of fairness. He coaches the entire roster, not just Bryant.

“He’s totally entitled to his opinion, but absolutely I think we’ve given him a fair shot,” Swinney said. “At the end of the day this is not middle school. There’s tough decisions that have to be made at this level and you’ve got to do what’s best for the team.”

And the decision itself? Lawrence has the greater upside. He’s already a better passer than Bryant. And Clemson does not aim to be a middle of the pack team – the Tigers think about titles. Their best players will play.

Bryant can surely find a new home to soothe his feelings and Clemson will be just fine. While not quite the equal of Alabama, it’s fair to say Clemson doesn’t rebuild. It reloads. Sometimes in midseason.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman