ESPN Sources: Justin Fields "interested in transferring to Ohio State"
In case you felt that Ohio State didn't have enough five-star QBs on their roster:
"I think he's looking at his options," Smart said Wednesday. "Let me say this about Justin: Justin is competing extremely hard. He's in the meeting rooms; he's rolling and going with the twos. His information to us is he's looking at his options, which is what you do. You go into the [NCAA transfer] portal, which we all know he's in. That's the extent of it, and that's the conversation we've had."
Sources told ESPN on Wednesday that Fields is interested in transferring to Ohio State, where star quarterback Dwayne Haskins is expected to forgo his senior season and enter April's NFL draft.
Fields, from Kennesaw, Georgia, is expected to apply for a hardship waiver from the NCAA. If granted, the waiver would make him eligible to play in the 2019 season.
December 19th, 2018 at 8:45 PM ^
We landed on the moon?
December 19th, 2018 at 10:07 PM ^
Not according to Stephen Curry.
December 19th, 2018 at 8:45 PM ^
Honestly sounds kinda dangerous since he can't play for a year.
If Haskins stays, he can compete on a level field, but if Haskins goes, he will have to compete with whoever gets that 1 year of experience.
December 19th, 2018 at 8:47 PM ^
He's applying for immediate eligibility on the grounds that he felt unsafe on UGA's campus. A baseball player yelled racial slurs at him earlier this year and got kicked off the team.
December 19th, 2018 at 8:50 PM ^
No way thats gonna be the reason he uses.
December 19th, 2018 at 8:52 PM ^
That's what I've heard.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:47 PM ^
...and the NCAA is just stupid enough to buy it.
December 19th, 2018 at 11:02 PM ^
That’s totally the reason. The bar has (rightfully) been lowered. There is zero chance GA or any other school would try to block that transfer.
December 20th, 2018 at 5:28 AM ^
It is the reason.
December 19th, 2018 at 8:53 PM ^
no way that's a legitimate reason not to sit out a year.
The NCAA sucks, but even they aren't that stupid are they?
December 19th, 2018 at 8:56 PM ^
I think that excuse might work.It might be to hard to disprove and could lead to negative public press. If it does work every transfer would use that.
December 19th, 2018 at 9:05 PM ^
Georgia would fight it. They don't want to appear unsafe for black student athletes, because if it's not safe for a top ranked QB, it's certainly not safe for your average black student. Also, they did the right thing in kicking the kid off the team, so it's clear the university isn't tolerating the behavior that makes him feel unsafe. I don't think it's reasonable for the university to psychically know whether someone is vehemently racist or not before they do something like that. Once they knew, they took action.
I'm generally in favor of transfers not having to sit out, but it's the rule, and I don't think his case that they fostered an "unsafe" environment for him would be that convincing, but I'm not Tom Mars.
December 19th, 2018 at 9:33 PM ^
Georgia is perfectly safe for black student athletes. None of the other 100+ black student athletes at Georgia are having any "safety issues", only the one that lost out to Jake Fromm and wants to transfer.
Go figure.
If this works, everybody will try this under the most flimsy rationale they can find.
December 19th, 2018 at 9:47 PM ^
As they should. Players should exercise what little power they have when they want to change their circumstances. NCAA rules are dumb and aren’t encforced strictly except against the athletes. Schools and coaches don’t get in too much trouble because they have some power. If a player uses whatever excuse they want to get what they want, I’m fine with it. Kirby Smart doesn’t have to sit out a year to further his career. Neither should Fields
December 20th, 2018 at 3:26 PM ^
Lol. I love this argument.
"Loopholes are something that shouldn't be used. Now excuse me as I use this tax loophole."
December 19th, 2018 at 11:05 PM ^
And they should be able to transfer without showing hardship. Coaches do it every year, EVERY year. It ridiculous to hold the players hostage, if they want to go, then go.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:01 PM ^
"I think that excuse might work.It might be to hard to disprove and could lead to negative public press. If it does work every transfer would use that."
Yeah, it did happen, many people heard the baseball player yelling the slur, and the baseball player got kicked off his team. There has already been negative press. A little bit of goggling goes a long way...
December 19th, 2018 at 10:37 PM ^
Sorry, couldn't resist after you wrote "goggles".
December 19th, 2018 at 11:19 PM ^
I know it happened. But its an extremely bizarre situation because why would a baseball player be yelling racial slurs at a football player from the 2nd row? And if you're a racist why single out just the backup QB? In a game in which he threw 2 passes, and your team was up by 3 touchdowns.
idk maybe I'm just trying to look for some logic in a situation where there is none because the one guy is just a racist lunatic.
December 20th, 2018 at 12:08 AM ^
Hey, the kid was probably drunk. He got caught using his indoor voice outside. I think we can accept that it did happen--since many overheard the baseball player screaming "Put the [n-word] in!" Multiple times. And UGA saw fit to kick the player off the team. Whether that should be the basis for waving the transfer rule is some other matter. I'm just addressing the did-or-did not happen.
December 20th, 2018 at 9:30 AM ^
If this is what happened his claim is ludicrous.
It sounds from the above like the university took action by kicking the guy off of the basketball team, therefore it was a one time occurrence, and the university took action to make sure Fields and all other athletes continue to practice in a safe environment.
Had the university not kicked this basketball player out, then he would have a potential claim for still feeling unsafe. (But really only in that instance if Fields had reported the encounter and witnesses supported it, and the university did nothing).
December 19th, 2018 at 9:01 PM ^
If that works, they should just cut the shit and drop the "sit for a year" stuff.
December 19th, 2018 at 9:08 PM ^
If he uses that as a reason, it’s a means to an end. He’s not all that much more likely to get called the N word in Athens as he would be in Columbus, Ann Arbor or anywhere else. He shouldn’t have to sit out a year while there are stupid amateurism rules. I hope he’s immediately eligible because I’d want the same for players coming to Michigan.
December 19th, 2018 at 9:13 PM ^
I hope he has to sit because I hate OSU and Georgia "bag man"'d an OL recruit that we really needed. Fuck them.
December 19th, 2018 at 9:43 PM ^
If he goes to OSU, we do not like him and anyone else. Stop being sympathetic to them... They want to keep besting us and we want to stop that.
December 19th, 2018 at 9:42 PM ^
Well if hearing a racial slur is so damaging to him, he's probably not going to enjoy Columbus. Or anywhere in the Midwest. Or northeast. Or south. Because people talk shit everywhere.
December 19th, 2018 at 9:47 PM ^
Ridiculous. Guess the other 65 black players and 20 black signees didn’t get the memo that they should feel unsafe.
Surely the NCAA isn’t that stupi ... never mind.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:36 PM ^
His little sister (UGA softball player) must somehow be able to withstand the unsafeness of the campus, too.
EDIT: Little sister is a softball commit, not player. Of course, if he transfers out but she still goes to Georgia next year, that’s essentially giving up the ghost.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:10 PM ^
If he felt so unsafe, than why is he still on UGA’s campus, running with the 2s?
December 19th, 2018 at 11:10 PM ^
Because Jake Fromm does not run with the 2s.
That's who he really feels unsafe from.
December 20th, 2018 at 7:16 AM ^
"If he felt unsafe in Athens, just wait until he gets to Columbus."
~Courtney Smith
December 20th, 2018 at 10:05 AM ^
If he is granted permission to transfer without sitting out under the grounds he felt unsafe on campus, imagine the negative recruiting that will take place going forward... this seems like GA has to fight this with everything they have. Having an ''unsafe'' campus is about the worst thing you can be known for, even more so if it falls into the racist category.
December 19th, 2018 at 8:47 PM ^
I want OSU to understand what it’s like to get JOK’d for a whole season.
Go to FSU Fields!!!!
Willie’s QB flipped to UNC and a 67 year old Mack Brown.
December 19th, 2018 at 8:58 PM ^
Joe Bauserman, that one year. I miss the day of Jim Karsotos, Greg Frey (NTGF), Kirk Herbstriet. Craig Krenzel and Bobby Hoying were all from the same mold. How did we EVER lose to Steve Bellisari, that loss...man that loss in 2001 started it all, I really believe you make Tressel eat his words after that game.
December 19th, 2018 at 9:04 PM ^
Craig Krenzel started that game, not Bellisari
December 19th, 2018 at 9:09 PM ^
This is correct. Believe Bellisari was in some kind of drunk trouble?
December 19th, 2018 at 9:55 PM ^
That is correct. I still lived amongst the unwashed hordes in Columbus at the time.
Bellisari got popped for drunk driving 2 days before the Ohio game that year. Rumor at the time said he was leaving a gay bar and peeled out right in front of a cop.
December 19th, 2018 at 8:49 PM ^
What is the basis of his hardship? I though Shea was a bit of an anomaly to be granted a waiver since his former coach was a lying sack of shit
December 19th, 2018 at 9:30 PM ^
Well his current coach is cut from the same cloth, it's just not the reason.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:42 PM ^
Somebody called him the N-word.
I know, in Georgia! I can’t believe it either.
December 19th, 2018 at 8:49 PM ^
You mean Taint Martell isn't such a sure thing?
Maybe they shouldn't have pissed off Danny Clark to sign him :)
December 19th, 2018 at 9:42 PM ^
Martell better find how to get into the transfer portal ASAP. Best case is that he leaves and Fields has to sit.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:16 PM ^
Not yet. Martell might as well stick around and try to fight for the starting job. You can always transfer during fall camp if you lose. It happened at multiple schools this past season where a QB left right before the season started to enroll somewhere else. Transferring now or 6 months from now is pretty much the same as he would have to sit out 2019 season in both cases.
December 20th, 2018 at 10:09 AM ^
The Danny Clark that was third string at Kentucky this year and is already transferring from there?
December 19th, 2018 at 8:51 PM ^
Ya dont say.
December 19th, 2018 at 8:53 PM ^
Deja vu.
December 19th, 2018 at 8:56 PM ^
I'm fine with it if:
- Fields goes there
- Haskins goes pro, everyone else transfers
- He has to sit a year
An OSU Nick Sheridan year would be so good.
Also I'm so here for the Tom Mars PR campaign that UGA is so racist it's a hostile environment.
December 19th, 2018 at 9:16 PM ^
Martell isn’t some hack. He had good numbers in a handful of appearances. Not a sure thing, but Fields not going there doesn’t mean OSU is doomed at the Qb position.
December 19th, 2018 at 9:19 PM ^
See 2 above.
December 19th, 2018 at 9:49 PM ^
Reading is important