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Ryan Day says team that drafts Justin Fields is getting a ‘franchise quarterback’
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Ryan Day may not be Justin Fields’ coach anymore, but the Ohio State leader still raves about the two-year starter. Despite concerns about Fields entering the NFL Draft, Day is confident the team that selects the former Buckeye is getting a star.
Monday, Day met with reporters to talk about his team’s progress in the early stages of spring practice. But, with the 2021 NFL Draft one month away, questions about Fields certainly came up.
There’s no question Day has all the confidence in the world in his former quarterback — the player that led Ohio State to a 20-2 record over the past two seasons, which included a pair of B1G titles and back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances.
“[He] checks all the boxes,” Day said of Fields. “I think someone is going to take him early in the draft and have a franchise quarterback for a very, very long time.”
Fields’ status entering the draft appears to be pretty high, but there are still some critics about the former Buckeye. The biggest knocks have been about “getting stuck on his primary receiver,” which forces him to hold the ball too long. At least one NFL team isn’t very high on the QB, having him slotted as a fourth-round selection.
It doesn’t seem likely that Fields will slip outside the Top 10 next month, but it will be interesting to see where he lands. Wherever it is, Day believes Fields will be the No. 1 guy at the quarterback spot in no time at all.
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