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Justin Fields may be a dual-threat QB, but Ryan Day doesn’t want him taking many hits on the run
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One question regarding Ohio State’s quarterback situation was answered on Monday, as Ryan Day officially announced that Justin Fields will be the starter when the Buckeyes take the field in two weeks.
The other question, however, we may not know the answer to until Aug. 31. That is, how will Day utilize Fields’ skillset at the quarterback position?
Fields is a dual-threat quarterback who can be just as effective as a runner as a passer. He’ll be operating Day’s system, though, which is primarily catered to pocket, pro-style quarterbacks. What the Buckeyes do offensively may be tweaked a bit to fit Fields’ skills.
But, one thing Day doesn’t want to see from Fields is him getting knocked around every Saturday. During his Monday press conference, Day said he’s not comfortable with his quarterback taking shots while running around the field throughout the duration of a game.
“I’m not comfortable with him taking a lot of hits in the course of a game, for sure,” Day said, according to Colin Hass-Hill of Eleven Warriors.
Day also said he plans to monitor and calculate Fields’ runs throughout each game “down to the last carry.”
Ryan Day on Justin Fields: "I'm not comfortable with him taking a lot of hits in the course of the game, for sure."
Day says all of Fields' runs will be calculated "down to the last carry."
— Colin Hass-Hill (@chasshill) August 19, 2019
Fields has shown a strong ability to read the defense and is capable at taking off at lightning speed. While he was at Georgia, he wasn’t afraid of contact either. He may have the green light to take off when he sees fit, but Fields will likely be sliding a lot more in Columbus.
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It will be interesting to see how Day uses Fields in the offense. It sounds like the dual-threat quarterback will get his opportunity to show off his legs throughout the season.
Just don’t expect him to be crashing helmet-to-helmet with a bunch of defenders this fall.
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