Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields is heading to the NFL draft after two seasons with the Buckeyes, he announced on Monday.
Fields made the announcement on Twitter, writing: “My path to Ohio State University was not straightforward, but I couldn’t have asked for a better final destination.”
Fields played his freshman season in Georgia before moving to Ohio in January 2019. Shortly thereafter, he received an exemption to be immediately eligible for the 2019 season, in which he reached record numbers for the big ten champion. Buckeyes and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Fields as the third overall position for the 2021 draft, behind defender Trevor Lawrence of Clemson and Oregon’s offensive attack Penei Sewell. In two seasons in Ohio, Fields had 5,373 passing yards with 63 touchdowns and nine interceptions, to go along with 867 running yards and 15 touchdowns. Fields is expected to become the second Ohio state quarterback drafted in the first round in three seasons, after the school had none between Art Schlichter in 1982 and Dwayne Haskins in 2019.
In 2019, Fields became the first Big Ten player with 40 pass touchdowns and 10 run touchdowns in one season, winning the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award. He led the nation in the touchdown-to-interception (41-3) relationship and won MVP honors in the Big Ten championship game against Wisconsin.
Behind Fields, Ohio State won two Big Ten titles and made consecutive CFP appearances for the first time, falling to Clemson and Lawrence in the 2019 semifinals, before beating Clemson this year and falling to Alabama in the national title game in 11 of January. a shot thumb injury in the Big Ten championship game and a massive blow to the rib area in the semifinal victory over Clemson.
Fields, 21, was ESPN’s No. 1 overall recruit in the 2018 class, one place ahead of Lawrence, a native of Georgia. He played moderately behind Jake Fromm during the 2018 season in Georgia, passing 328 yards and four touchdowns.