On Tuesday, Missouri won the sweepstakes for the most high-profile transfer player this season when quarterback Kelly Bryant opted to join Barry Odom’s squad.

But for Odom and the rest of the Tigers’ staff, their two-month recruitment of the former Clemson starter was a stressful process up until the end.

Odom spoke with Power Mizzou, Rivals.com’s Missouri website, about the program’s relationship with Bryant since he announced his decision to transfer toward the end of September. Odom claimed Bryant told him he had picked Missouri during an in-home visit Nov. 27, though the quarterback met with chief competitor Auburn in the days leading up to his decision.

“I knew that at this point he was the top quarterback recruit in the country and it would be foolish for me to sit back and say ‘Oh, we got him,’” Odom told Power Mizzou. “I knew there would be a late push.”

Yet Bryant held firm, and on Thursday he signed a financial agreement with the Tigers that does not technically bind him to the team like a National Letter of Intent. But Odom is confident Bryant will ultimately enroll at Missouri and begin classes in January.

That will end a drawn-out recruitment — Odom said the Tigers were one of the first teams to contact Bryant after he obtained his transfer paperwork.

“When we first learned of the transfer was able to get the release and contact him there was a mutual (interest) and when that happens you go full press into the recruiting mode and we established an opportunity,” Odom said. “He liked the place, could see himself here, Drew (Lock)’s success and the offense’s success, he was interested in the style of play and could see himself fitting in with the guys.”

Odom also spoke with Power Mizzou about Bryant’s place in the quarterback room and tweaking the offense for a quarterback more suited to running, which you can read about in the full report.