Ryan Day on Justin Fields: ‘He is going to make plays in the NFL’

Ryan Day has no doubt Justin Fields is going to be successful in the NFL. After coaching the star quarterback for two seasons, the head coach is confident that big things are ahead for the former Ohio State QB.

Thursday, Day met with the media as the Buckeyes prepare for the 2021 spring season. He was asked about Fields’ status entering the NFL Draft, as many continue to debate whether or not he’s a Top 2 quarterback in this year’s class.

It doesn’t seem to matter to Day where Fields gets selected in the upcoming draft. He’s confident that the quarterback is going to find success.

“Whatever NFL team asks him to do something, he will learn it very, very quickly,” Day said. “I can promise you this, Justin Fields is going to make plays in the NFL. …Some team’s going to get very lucky by drafting him.”

Over the last two seasons, Fields has demonstrated the ability to be a successful NFL quarterback. As a first-year starter in 2019, he threw for 3,273 yards and 41 touchdowns with just 3 interceptions while also rushing for 484 yards and 10 scores, leading Ohio State to a 13-1 record.

This year, Fields completed over 70% of his throws while piling up 2,100 yards and 22 touchdowns with an additional 383 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground. The Buckeyes were 7-1.

Gripes about Fields come regarding his hesitation in the pocket and “getting stuck” on his primary receiver. The differing opinions have resulted in the quarterback becoming one of the most discussed prospects in this year’s NFL Draft.

The draft is set for Thursday, April 29 through Saturday, May 1. We’ll know then where Fields winds up.

Dustin Schutte

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