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Report: Ohio State the leader to land Georgia QB Justin Fields
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News broke on Monday night that Georgia backup quarterback Justin Fields was exploring transfer options and could decide to depart from Athens ahead of the 2019 season. That, alone, created a pretty big stir on the college football landscape.
The morning after that announcement, Kyle Rowland of the Toledo Blade is reporting that Ohio State is the front-runner to land the former 5-star prospect, should he choose to part ways with the Bulldogs.
According to Rowland, Fields has notified Georgia head coach Kirby Smart of his intent to transfer. Ohio State’s ascendance to the head coach in Columbus is the driving force behind Fields’ interest in the Buckeyes.
Florida State and Oklahoma are also in consideration.
Fields will petition the NCAA for immediate eligibility, regardless of where he lands. He is also permitted to speak with other coaches without needing permission from Georgia.
As a high school prospect, Fields was a 5-star talent and one of the top quarterbacks in the 2018 class. Prior to signing with Georgia, he had committed to Penn State but eventually parted ways with the Nittany Lions.
Ohio State is an attractive place with Day now running the show, especially with the success Dwayne Haskins enjoyed this season. The Buckeyes gunslinger led the nation in passing yards, passing touchdowns and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Haskins has not made a decision regarding his future plans just yet.
If Haskins decided to return to Columbus next season, it would likely lessen the chances of landing Fields, especially if playing time was a concern at Georgia. If Haskins heads to the NFL, Fields would likely be in competition with Tate Martell for the starting job.
Fields played in 12 games for the Bulldogs this season.
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