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Quarterback Justin Fields is reportedly finalizing a transfer from Georgia to Ohio State.
According to Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports, Fields is attempting to file for immediate eligibility at Ohio State after a Georgia baseball player directed racial slurs at him.
The baseball player was dismissed from the team, but Fields—who was a high school standout in baseball as well as football—would reportedly feel uncomfortable playing baseball at Georgia because of the incident, which supports his case.
Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports confirmed Friday that Fields was on campus at Ohio State to finalize the transfer.
Fields’ transfer comes after Dan Wolken of USA Today reported in December that the 19-year-old told Georgia he planned on leaving after backing up Jake Fromm throughout the 2018 campaign.
Fromm took the Bulldogs to the College Football Playoff national title game as a freshman and the SEC title game as a sophomore, and was entrenched as the team’s starter.
It is no surprise Fields was immediately on the radar of blue-blood programs when word broke about his intent to transfer.
According to 247Sports’ composite rankings, he was a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2018. He was also the No. 2 overall player in the entire country behind only Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
While Fields didn’t see much meaningful playing time during his freshman year thanks to the presence of Fromm, he appeared in 12 regular-season games prior to the Sugar Bowl and finished with 328 passing yards, 266 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns with zero interceptions.
He flashed his ability to impact the game in multiple ways, keeping plays alive in the pocket with his legs to give receivers more time to break open downfield while never hesitating to run for additional yardage when opportunities presented themselves.
That type of program-building talent doesn’t often become available on the transfer market.
Ohio State is set to land one of the most important additions of the entire offseason and someone who can help it compete for Big Ten championships and perhaps a spot in the College Football Playoff for multiple years.
Dwayne Haskins was a Heisman Trophy finalist and shot up NFL draft boards during the 2018 campaign, and he is an example of what a talented quarterback can do in Day’s offensive system.
While Haskins has yet to make an announcement regarding his status for 2019, it is expected that he will enter the NFL draft, which would pave the way for Fields to battle with Tate Martell for the starting quarterback job if he gains immediate eligibility.
Day was the offensive coordinator this past season and will take over for Urban Meyer after the three-time national champion announced his retirement.
The new head coach already has a major win on his resume with the addition of Fields, and the combination will look to build off what Haskins did while leading the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl.
from A Viral Update http://bit.ly/2SwYQfC
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