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Justin Williams of The Athletic reported on Thursday that Cincinnati quarterback Ben Bryant has entered the transfer portal. Spring practice for the Bearcats concluded last week and the veteran was competing with transfer Emory Jones for the starting job. He will reportedly keep his options open and there’s a possibility he could return to Cincinnati this fall.
Bryant will be entering his sixth and final year of collegiate eligibility and has had an interesting career. He spent his first three seasons backing up Desmond Ridder at Cincinnati before transferring to Eastern Michigan in 2021. In his one season in the MAC, he threw for over 3,000 yards on 68.4% passing and 14 touchdowns. With Ridder finally moving on to the NFL, he transferred back to Cincinnati in 2022, where he threw for 2,732 yards on 61.2% passing and 21 touchdowns. With first-year head coach Scott Satterfield overseeing the Bearcats’ transition to the Big 12 this year, it wasn’t a guarantee that Bryant would retain his starting gig.
If Bryant decides to move on from Cincy for good, an obvious landing spot candidate is Wisconsin, who is now being led by former Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell. The Badgers brought in former SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai earlier in the offseason.