Acknowledging a football scholarship offer from the University of Georgia may have cost a 2018 prospect the chance to quarterback at Wisconsin.
Ben Bryant, a 6-foot-3, 190-pounder from La Grange, Ill., announced his offer from Georgia late Thursday night on social media and claims that Wisconsin pulled its scholarship on Friday. Bryant had been committed to the Badgers since Dec. 7.
"I got a call from Wisconsin saying that there is no longer a spot for me there because I posted that I got another offer," Bryant told Scout.com. "Very disappointed."
Under NCAA recruiting rules, colleges are not allowed to comment on specific prospects, so it is highly unlikely that Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst will be able to share his side of things for several more months.
Bryant announced the offer from Kirby Smart's Bulldogs on Twitter, posting, "Humbled to receive an offer from the University of Georgia." His tweet included the "G" logo and a picture of a packed Sanford Stadium.
When recruiting websites started reporting what had transpired, Bryant linked one of the stories to his Twitter account and included the message, "No interviews."
Bryant is the nation's No. 24 pro-style quarterback and No. 631 overall prospect, according to 247Sports.com's composite rankings. He is a three-star prospect according to 247Sports, Rivals.com and Scout.com, while ESPN pegs him as a four-star recruit and as the nation's No. 21 pro-style quarterback.
Georgia's only scholarship quarterbacks for the upcoming season are sophomore Jacob Eason and early enrollee Jake Fromm. Both were top-50 national prospects, which could be why the elite Peach State quarterback prospects for 2018 have committed elsewhere.
Cartersville High School's Trevor Lawrence is the top quarterback nationally and picked Clemson over the Bulldogs, while the dual-threat talents of Kennesaw's Justin Fields (Harrison High) and Franklin's Emory Jones (Heard County High) have committed to Penn State and Ohio State, respectively. Lawrence is the top prospect in Georgia for the 2018 recruiting cycle, according to 247Sports, with Fields third and Jones fourth.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.