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Buckeyes staff lied about pursuit of Justin Fields according to ex-Ohio State QB commit
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Dwan Mathis flipped from Ohio State to Georgia at the very last second. The 4-star quarterback who had been committed to the Buckeyes opted to go with the Bulldogs on the first day of the Early Signing Period.
It was a bit of a shock to folks in Columbus and Athens, though the latter was much more pleased with his decision. Mathis seemed to be set on joining Ohio State but had a change of heart in the final hours.
Recently, Mathis talked with DawgNation’s Mike Griffith about his decision to decommit from Ohio State and instead attend Georgia. According to the quarterback, he was receiving some false information from the Buckeyes staff.
Former Bulldogs’ backup Justin Fields had been talking with the Buckeyes about transferring into Columbus, leading Mathis to consider other options.
“I called before I went in to sign, I had papers from both schools in front of me,” Mathis said. “… I asked if they were talking to Justin Fields, and I got a ‘No’ ”
Mathis, however, said all signs on social media suggested otherwise, and he originally been enticed to come to Georgia during a visit in July of 2017.
Fields officially announced he was leaving Georgia and headed to Ohio State on Friday. He attended a Buckeyes’ basketball game on Saturday.
Mathis was wise to do his own research and make a decision based on his gut. Recruiting is a tough cycle and it’s pretty clear that coaches aren’t always the most honest when it comes to trying to lure a player to campus.
Things seemed to work out for both sides in the end. Ohio State landed a former 5-star quarterback and Mathis is headed to Athens where there’s some room to grow behind Jake Fromm.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB