And to think it was the Midwest’s winter weather that first spooked Bryant when Mizzou coaches contacted him last fall. Four games into his senior season at Clemson, the South Carolina native decided to transfer and spend his final year of eligibility at another program. But when Mizzou offensive coordinator Derek Dooley started his sales pitch, Missouri seemed like a galaxy away.
Jonathan Nance, a prospective graduate transfer receiver from Arkansas, never had met Bryant, but he lobbied him on Instagram to at least visit Mizzou’s campus.
Finally, he relented. Bryant visited Columbia on Oct. 27, the day the Tigers hosted Kentucky — it was sunny and 66 degrees at kickoff.