Sometimes things don’t work out as planned. That is the story of Ben Bryant, now a former University of Wisconsin commit.
The Class of 2018 three-star quarterback received his first college offer from the Badgers on June 24, 2016. After a couple of visits, Bryant committed to the team that reached out to him first in December 2016.
From there, Bryant said he was “100% committed” to Wisconsin. He said he was planning to apply early to Wisconsin and even had a draft of the application prepared. Just a high school junior, Bryant said playing for the Badgers was a dream of his, one that was finally going to come true.
Less than one month ago, on May 11, this all changed. Georgia made an offer to the 6-foot-3-inch, 190-pound UW commit after the Bulldogs and Bryant exchanged a few text messages, Bryant said. Flattered, Bryant said he was still fully aligned with Wisconsin. Bryant said he called the Wisconsin coaching staff to tell them what happened and emphasize that his commitment to the Badgers stood
But the Illinois native was told he “was no longer a good fit for Wisconsin,” he said. Bryant decommitted from UW two days later.
— Ben Bryant (@benbryant_7) May 14, 2017
Now, Syracuse football is the latest of the offers Bryant has received. The Orange made its interest official yesterday, according to 247Sports.com
Other offers came from Western Michigan, Temple, Cincinnati, Colorado State, West Virginia and Ole Miss over the past four weeks, according to 247Sports.com.
Even with a handful of 2018 commits already, the Orange is still building its slate of roster additions for next year. One of the missing pieces at the moment just happens to be quarterback.
What does this mean for both sides?
Well, Bryant is probably fired up and emotional after what he called a “nightmare” with Wisconsin. He wants to compete and be part of a close, confident team, and now probably wants to show his dedication, passion and skill even more.
For Syracuse, that is exactly the kind of mentality and competitiveness the program needs with the new Orange is the New Fast scheme. Bryant would be the first QB recruit for the Orange’s 2018 class. He can fit right into the pool of next year’s recruits as the newly reenergized leader the team is looking for.
A new decision for Bryant still looms in the air. After such a shakeup in plans, a decision might not be imminent.
But maybe this time it’ll turn out less like Romeo and Juliet and more like a happy, successful couple in the end.
Here are some of Bryant’s highlights from this past year:
Published: David Edelstein
