UC QB Ben Bryant explores options in transfer portal

Less than 17 months after returning to the University of Cincinnati as a grad student and becoming the 2022 Bearcat starting quarterback, Ben Bryant is again in the transfer portal according to a UC source.

Currently in a battle for the starting position under new coach Scott Satterfield with fellow six-year quarterback Emory Jones Jr., Bryant is said to be weighing his options. He has left the door open for a return, though schools are under no obligation to take a player back once they've entered the portal.

All indications are the Bearcats would welcome Bryant back if he eventually chose to return.

Bryant and Jones both had successful spring scrimmages last Saturday. Both led lengthy scoring drives and red-zone drives. Bryant had a nice long pass to Princeton product Sterling Berkhalter on his first scoring drive, then later hit tight end Chamon Metayer for a red-zone score.

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Jones countered with a 4-for-4 passing drive hitting tight end Payten Singletary and had a red-zone toss to another tight end, Michael McCalmont. Early enrollee freshman Brady Drogosh also dazzled with a 38-yard scoring strike to fellow true freshman Barry Jackson. Brady Lichtenberg and Jacob Hoying also had touchdown tosses, so there are other quarterbacks, but Jones and Bryant have the most snaps. Evan Prater didn't participate in the spring scrimmage due to injury and is also in the mix.

"This is a highly contested room and you've got to take your hat off to those two older guys that have been playing a lot of ball, Ben and Emory," Satterfield said last Saturday. "I really love their competitive spirit and they've been competing, so they've both been really good."

Said Jones post-scrimmage, "Ben and I are both sixth-year guys so we've seen a lot in our time. We all just go out there and try to compete every day and help each other out. We both have the same experience and speak the same language."

Bryant came to UC in 2018 and redshirted outside of a 6-for-8 performance for 75 yards against Alabama A&M. In 2019, backing up Desmond Ridder, he played in seven games and started the final regular season game of the year at Memphis.

In 2020, he played in eight games and was 11-for-14 passing and had 65 rushing yards and a touchdown. He gets a free year for that, the coronavirus season.

He transferred to Eastern Michigan for the 2021 season and threw for over 3,000 yards in 13 games and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles finished 7-6, losing in the Lending Tree Bowl to Liberty.

In early January, Bryant returned to the Bearcats to compete with Prater for the job vacated by Ridder being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. Bryant won the job and started 11 games throwing for 2,732 yards and 21 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. His passer rating was 61.2 for No. 10 on the UC all-time list.

The 6-foot-3, 217-pound Bryant wasn't speaking to media Thursday. He talked about the spring last Saturday:

UC footballOne-on-one with Cincinnati Bearcats football coach Scott Satterfield heading out of spring

"We've had a whole spring that is going to be evaluated, I think this is the biggest test of what an actual game is going to be like with a little more pressure, people-watching, kind of that game mentality. I think it's important, but I also think there's a lot of film and spring ball that has led to today."