Nation's No. 1 dual threat quarterback Justin Fields commits to Georgia
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Today was the best day so far for Georgia in the 2018 recruiting cycle. Five-star quarterback Justin Fields (Kennesaw, Ga./Harrison) decided to commit to the Bulldogs.
Fields, the No. 1 dual threat quarterback in the 2018 class, spoke highly of Georgia following his de-commitment from Penn State in early June at the Rivals.com Five-Star Challenge.
"Georgia is a great school, it's my home school," Fields said. "My sister is committed there for softball. Coach Kirby, he does a great job with the defense and I feel like he's going to start kinda changing the culture there and winning more games and making it to the SEC Championship. I feel like he's starting to turn the program around."
A big part of Georgia's pitch to land Fields had to do with making adjustments to the offense the Dawgs ran during Kirby Smart's first season with Jacob Eason taking the snaps.
“They’re trying to put in more RPO's (Run-Pass Options). They don’t have a guy to really run the ball," Fields said. "They’re trying to work in some guys to run the ball that don’t really play quarterback at all. They’re trying to change the offense a bit, and, if I go there, they could really play with some defenses."
Kirby Smart played a big part in Fields choosing Georgia, but so did offensive coordinator Jim Chaney.
“Coach Chaney is a great guy, he’s funny,” Fields said. “He meshes good with the quarterbacks and I think he’s a smart guy when it comes to drawing up plays.”
By landing Fields, Georgia has accomplished a feat no other program has in the history of Rivals.com by adding five-star quarterbacks in three straight classes. Many thought having Jacob Eason and Jake Fromm in the classes ahead of Fields would keep him from ending up in Athens, but Fields believes he brings a different element to Georgia's program.
“You’ll have to compete anywhere, but at Georgia I think I bring something to the table that they don’t. That’s my legs," Fields said. "Both of them (Jacob Eason and Jake Fromm) are great quarterbacks and have great arms. I just feel like I bring a different aspect to the game being able to run.”
Fields initially committed to Penn State back in November. Georgia had just offered a few weeks before his decision, and Fields had been on campus for Georgia's win over Auburn and the loss to Tennessee. Along with the Dawgs, he considered Louisville, North Carolina, Northwestern, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.
After backing out on his Penn State commitment, Fields considered and visited Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State and USC before settling on Georgia.