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Report: Justin Fields to transfer to Ohio State
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Report: Justin Fields to transfer to Ohio State

Report: Justin Fields to transfer to Ohio State

Report: Justin Fields to transfer to Ohio State

Justin Fields-Ohio State-Georgia football

It appears that Justin Fields has found his next school. According to a report from Letterman Row’s Jeremy Birmingham, Fields is transferring to Ohio State.

Birmingham is reporting that Fields will visit Ohio State this weekend and is expected to enroll ahead of classes, which begin next week.

Fields, a celebrated 5-star prospect from Kennesaw, Ga., played in 13 of 15 games for the Bulldogs this season.

Fields was 27-of-39 passing for 328 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in his 13 appearances, and he also rushed 42 times for 266 yards and four touchdowns.

Fields said after brief playing time in the SEC Championship Game that he appreciated his time at Georgia.

I feel like coming here kind of I could have probably went some other places, but I feel like coming here has definitely made me a better QB,” Fields said. “I feel like coming here like I didn’t want it to be handed to me like some other schools would have had. So I came here, and I’m just going to keep working.

“I’m motivated because I mean I’m a competitor. I want to be out on the field. I know there are places in my game where I need to get better at. I’m just going to keep getting better and keep improving.”

Fields informed the Georgia coaches in the practices leading up to the Bulldogs departure for New Orleans that he intended to explore transferring.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart said he welcomed Fields to continue practicing with the team and hoped he would stay with the Bulldogs.

“He decided he wanted to play in the Sugar Bowl, and I told him ‘absolutely, we want you there,’ ” Smart said. “Justin is working extremely hard, he’s in the meeting rooms, he’s still rolling with our twos. I’m pleased with his work and demeanor, he has had good reps.”

Smart said he wasn’t upset with Fields’ decision to explore the transfer.

“I can’t be annoyed, the kid is doing what he thinks is best for him,” Smart said. “If he’s going to make a decision, he can’t wait until after the bowl game, because schools starts (Jan. 8).”

As far as changing his mind, Smart said he didn’t see any way to do that.

“I don’t think there’s anything you can do (to convince him to stay),” Smart said. “We’ve been very open and honest that we would like him to stay. He’s worked really hard. He competed his tail off throughout the year and played a team role throughout the year.”

The post Report: Justin Fields to transfer to Ohio State appeared first on DawgNation.

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Georgia Sports News

  • Georgia basketball opens up its SEC slate on the road against No. 3 Tennessee on Saturday. Below you can find information on the game time, tv channel and online information for the game. Georgia enters the game with an 8-4 record, and is coming off a win over UMass. Tennessee has lost only once this season, and that came on a neutral court against Kansas. Georgia Basketball-Tennessee: Game time The Georgia basketball game against Tennessee tips starts at 3:30 p.m. ET.  This the Bulldogs’ first SEC game of the season. Georgia Basketball-Tennessee: TV Channel The Georgia basketball game can be seen on SEC Network. Georgia Basketball-Tennessee: How to watch online You can watch the Georgia Basketball game using the WatchESPN app. Georgia Basketball-Tennessee: How can I listen on the Radio? The Georgia Basketball-Tennessee game can be heard on the radio on WSB 750 AM. Scott Howard and Chuck Dowdle will be calling the game on radio. Georgia Basketball projected starters *Per Georgia Sports Information G: William “Turtle” Jackson, senior G: Teshaun Hightower, sophomore F: Rayshaun Hammonds, sophomore F: Nicolas Claxton, sophomore C: Derek Ogbeide, senior What Tom Crean had to say before Georgia basketball-Tennessee game  On playing Tennessee for the SEC Opener… “We have to play them at some point, so it’s fine. They are playing really well and they are an outstanding team. They are very good at every facet of the game and are extremely well coached, so it will be a tough challenge.” On readiness of the matchup… “I have no idea. We can’t mirror in practice what we are going to see in them. They have a physicality and a toughness that we will have to deal with. Obviously, we are playing there and it is a tough environment I’m certain. They play with a tremendous amount of toughness and physicality and grit, and we are going to have to match that or we won’t have a chance.” On Tennessee having an edge because of a more veteran team… “I don’t know. It is what it is. They are a really good team. I don’t know, because I haven’t played them yet, we haven’t coached against them. We just have to go in there and be ready to compete.” On tough slate to open SEC play… “I’m not looking at it like that, I’m just ready for this one.” On Grant Williams similarity to Nicolas Claxton as far as versatility… “You can’t guard him with one guy. We are going to have to guard him as a team. Most importantly, their whole team is good. They don’t have many weak points so it isn’t about individual matchups. It is about our team defense against their offense.” On previous home crowds importance going forward… “It’s extremely important. It makes all the difference in the world for us. We are getting better, we are improving, and we love it. That is how you build a program and have stability. When you have those crowds, everyone can feel it and everyone can be a part of it and the energy of it and the ownership of it. The recruits see it and it is great for the team on the floor.” On football being over if more attention goes to basketball… “I think Georgia fans focus on what is playing. I don’t feel any different. We didn’t have any games when football was playing, so it isn’t much of a difference there. Does that mean more fans will pay attention? I don’t know. I think the fans have been great. I think Georgia fans across the board are great.” On relishing games against top teams… “We just want to win the game. We just have to compete. They [Tennessee] don’t take possessions off. They compete at a very high level. They have been at it for awhile and they have been building their program for awhile and they have a lot of traction in it right now. We are just getting started, but we have to go in there and matchup in the sense of competition, intensity, and being on the glass. We can’t go in there and give them live ball turnovers, because that will be a disaster for us.” On Nicolas Claxton improving… “He is getting better, but he has to get better and he has to continue to get better. He is improving, but that is the whole trick, you keep getting better throughout the season. We don’t have anybody on this team that can sit back and take a deep breath and can think that they’ve reached any type of success rate. We are not even close to that. It is all about the improvement and creating challenges. The biggest difference for him [Claxton] is now the mindset of most coaches in the league are aware of him and the players are aware of each other, so now he and the whole team is going to have to deal with a new level of preparation, because there aren’t some of the guys that are in there that were there in the past. Like Yante Maten, J.J. Fraizer, those type of people. They aren’t there. It increases what they will have to deal with and the attention they will get.” On Nicolas Claxton… “We aren’t going to pack on a ton of weight [on him] in the next couple weeks. We just have to play harder and longer. That is the biggest problem I’ve had with this team behind closed doors. We just have to learn to play harder longer. Working hard we do, that isn’t the issue. It is like talent versus skill. A lot of people have talent, but do you have skill. Skill comes out when you are under pressure, well it is the same thing when playing hard. We work hard everyday, we sweat, we get after it, but the bottom line is you have to play harder longer and you have to be in a tremendous mindset of competition in the way that you can be. That remains to be seen for us. We are improving there, but now we are into this gauntlet [SEC season] and we have to see how we are going to continue to build through that.” Best stories from around DawgNation Justin Fields officially transferring from Georgia to Ohio State Kirby Smart issues statement on UGA’s NFL-bound juniors Georgia RB Elijah Holyfield declares for NFL Draft UGA signee Nolan Smith has a sincere response to the pending Justin Fields transfer Justin Fields’ inability to immediately overcome proven Georgia QB keys transfer With Justin Fields gone, what’s behind Jake Fromm in UGA quarterback room? Georgia receiver Riley Ridley declares for 2019 NFL Draft The post Georgia Basketball-Tennessee: Game time, TV Channel, how to watch online appeared first on DawgNation.
  • MILWAUKEE (AP) - The last thing the Milwaukee Bucks wanted on Friday was a grind-it-out game, with Eastern Conference rival Toronto coming to town the next night to complete a back-to-back set. No need to worry in Mike Budenholzer's first game against his former team. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 16 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists in just 19 minutes, and the Bucks starters got plenty of rest in a 144-112 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Khris Middleton scored 19 points while hitting all four of his 3-point attempts. Malcolm Brogdon also scored 19 and point guard Eric Bledsoe added 14 points and eight assists for the Bucks, who led 43-14 after 12 minutes. 'Obviously, the first quarter (we) threw a big punch on both ends of the court,' Budenholzer said. 'I thought the effort by Eric Bledsoe was great. To have that kind of lead and set the tone, the starters were phenomenal.' Antetokounmpo and the rest of the Milwaukee starters did not play in the fourth quarter. 'It was huge,' Middleton said. 'We get off to a great start, set the tone early and keep it going the whole game. Hopefully it can prepare us for tomorrow.' Milwaukee (27-10) improved its NBA-best record as it won its fifth straight and for the ninth time in 10 games. The Bucks tied a season high for points in a game, equaling their total against Sacramento on Nov. 4, and scored more than 140 for a league-best third time. 'They're the No. 1 team in the league right now,' Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said. 'They're playing with an edge and we saw that tonight. 'We just didn't have it. That's part of our growing pains and part of our growth, to understand that you have to go through these things.' Toronto (28-12) is coming off a road loss to San Antonio and already has lost the first two games against Milwaukee this season. The Bucks could capture the season tiebreaker with another win Saturday. 'It's neck-and-neck right now,' Middleton said. 'But we try to keep the focus on us. It's a long season. We're not complacent with where we're at right now. We still can be better in some areas so we're going to stay hungry.' Budenholzer led the Hawks to the playoffs in four of his five seasons with the team and his 2014-15 squad won 60 games and reached the Eastern Conference finals. The rebuilding Hawks (11-27) were no match for the Bucks, who led by as many as 38 points in the first half. Milwaukee took a 76-43 halftime lead, tying the second-largest halftime lead in franchise history and the largest since 1978. Milwaukee extended the lead to as many as 46 points in the fourth quarter. DeAndre Bembry led Atlanta with 19 points and Dewayne Dedmon had 14 while hitting 4 of 9 3-pointers. The Bucks had 12 players score eight or more points - the most by any team in a game since the 1976-77 season. TIP-INS Hawks: Atlanta has two rookies making major contributions: fifth overall pick Trae Young, acquired in a draft-night deal with Dallas; and 19th overall pick Kevin Huerter. Young, the former Oklahoma star and 6-foot-2 guard, entered Friday averaging 15.4 points and 7.4 assists. He had only two points in the first three quarters but finished with 13 points in 31 minutes. Huerter, who played at Maryland, scored a personal-best 22 points at Indiana on Dec. 31 and had 12 points in 44 minutes against Washington on Wednesday. 'We played him 40 minutes in Indiana and he gets a career high,' Pierce said. 'It was kind of a lesson to me. Play him more. Get him more shots and his shot attempts have gone up in every month, so we're finding more productivity with more opportunity. So, it's my job to get him more opportunity.' Huerter scored 10 points Friday. ... Former Bucks forward Miles Plumlee (left knee pain) was unavailable for the Hawks after being ruled out following the team's morning shootaround. Bucks: Veteran forward Ersan Ilyasova returned to the lineup for the first time since breaking his nose in practice on Dec. 16. Second-year forward D.J. Wilson has played well in Ilyasova's absence, and Budenholzer said he wasn't sure how he would distribute playing time. 'It's the hard part about our league,' Budenholzer said. 'When you have a roster with a lot of depth and a lot of good players, sometimes you have to make hard decisions. Sometimes you play a little bigger rotation. But we've certainly been happy with D.J., happy with Thon (Maker). Ersan is a veteran guy and we're happy to have him back. This league is amazing how opportunity is always right around the corner if someone isn't playing.' Ilyasova drew a charge - his specialty - just 13 seconds after entering the game in the first quarter. He finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 19 minutes. UP NEXT Hawks: Host Miami on Sunday. Bucks: Host Toronto on Saturday.
  • Justin Fields is officially gone. After DawgNation’s Mike Griffith reported that Georgia quarterback Justin Fields was transferring from Georgia to Ohio State, as Fields announced the news via Twitter. Jeremiah 29:11… pic.twitter.com/7Z3j90Q305 — Justin Fields (@justnfields) January 5, 2019 The news had been expected, as Fields name had been in the NCAA Transfer Portal since Dec. 18. He was the nation’s No. 2 quarterback in the 2018 class and the No. 2 overall prospect. Fields entered the year with high expectations, but he was never able to find consistent playing time. He appeared in 12 of the Bulldogs 14 games this season, with Florida and Texas being the only two games were he did not play. Fields did not start a game for Georgia this season, as he backed up sophomore Jake Fromm. Fields completed  27-of his 39 for 328 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in his 12 appearances, and he also rushed 42 times for 266 yards and four touchdowns. The high point for Fields this season came against UMass, when he threw for 121 yards, ran for 100 and scored three total touchdowns. He was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the effort, and he was also named to the SEC’s All-Freshman team. Fields did not start a game for Georgia this season. With Fields heading to Ohio State, it appears that he will be in a competition with former 4-star quarterback Tate Martell, as Ohio State’s 2018 starter, Dwyane Haskins, appears headed to the NFL draft. Martell has already made some interesting comments with regards to Fields, even before it was officially reported that he would be heading to Ohio State. Related:  Ohio State QB appears to warn Justin Fields again about transfer This is the second consecutive season where Georgia has seen a 5-star quarterback that it signed transfer from the program. Jacob Eason, a 5-star from the 2016 recruiting cycle, transferred to Washington after Fromm won the starting job and led Georgia to a national title appearance in 2017. Eason did sit out the 2018 season, where as Fields intends to apply for a waiver to make him immediately eligible. Many have speculated that Fields will use the remarks made by former UGA baseball player Adam Sasser as a reason to justify immediate eligibility. During the Tennessee game, Sasser was allegedly shouting racist remarks at Fields from the stands. Sasser was dismissed from the UGA baseball team after the incident. Ohio State and Georgia are not scheduled to play each other at any point in the near future, though there is always the chance the two teams could meet in the College Football Playoff. With Fields gone, Fromm is Georgia’s only scholarship quarterback on the roster at the moment, but reinforcements are coming. Georgia signed JUCO quarterback Stetson Bennett, who was a member of the 2017 Georgia team, and Dwan Mathis, a 4-star quarterback in the 2019 signing class, and both will enroll in January. Georgia also has a commitment from 4-star quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, but he is yet to sign a letter of intent. As for the future of the position, Georgia did make the top 6 for 5-star 2020 quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who is the No. 1 quarterback in the 2020 class. Georgia also has been linked to 4-star quarterback Robbie Arnold as well. Georgia opens the 2019 season against Vanderbilt on Aug. 31. Justin Fields coverage from DawgNation Justin Fields’ inability to immediately overcome proven Georgia QB keys transfer With Justin Fields gone, what’s behind Jake Fromm in UGA quarterback room? Social media reacts to news of Justin Fields transferring to Ohio State How the Justin Fields storyline affects UGA recruiting right now Is Jake Fromm elite or just a good quarterback with the occasional bad game? The post Justin Fields officially transferring from Georgia to Ohio State appeared first on DawgNation.
  • ATHENS — Welcome to the big time, Georgia football fans. Reporting for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution I called July 16, 2004 “Bloody Friday in UGA Athletics” in the news story I filed that day. Why? Because that was the day, many months after he’d been designated Vince Dooley’s successor as athletic director, that Damon Evans fired nearly every person in the Bulldogs’ senior athletic administration. That is NOT what we witnessed on Jan. 4, 2019. It might feel that way for the most fervent of Georgia football fans. What took place this Friday is not helpful to the Bulldogs’ bottom-line cause for the 2019 season, it is not necessarily a negative development. This is not good, hard-working people losing their jobs for the sake of change like we saw in 2004. It is, however, the price of doing business at the current altitude Georgia is flying. At last count — and if you were following this Friday, you know what a flurry this was — we have six front-line players leaving the football program. In chronological order the Bulldogs on Friday lost quarterback Justin Fields (transferring to Ohio State), tight end Isaac Nauta (entering NFL draft), split end Riley Ridley (NFL), flanker/kick returner Mecole Hardman (NFL), tight end Luke Ford (transferring to Illinois) and running back Elijah Holyfield (NFL). If you’re into recruiting, that’s 28 stars of talent leaving Georgia’s locker room. That’s a blow, folks, no matter who might be “the next man up.” Head coach Kirby Smart put his best spin on it with the release of a statement early Friday evening. “We wish the best to Mecole Hardman, Elijah Holyfield, Isaac Nauta and Riley Ridley as they pursue their careers at the next level,” Smart said through UGA Sports Communications. “All four of these juniors contributed significantly to our success during the last two seasons and we look forward to them making the best out of their shot at the NFL. As with all our players, we also will encourage them to complete their degrees to get prepared for the next chapter of their lives.” The movement we witnessed Friday might not be limited to players. Don’t be surprised if we see some coaches leave is all over as well. Tennessee, which has gone well over a month now without filling its offensive coordinator vacancy, is said to be eying Georgia’s Jim Chaney. Chaney’s three-year contract is due to expire at the end of the academic year. He had to share coordinating duties with James Coley this past season, as well as move from coaching quarterbacks to tight ends, and I;m told still has property on a lake up in East Tennessee. Also, Georgia clearly has one of the best offensive line coaches in the nation in Sam Pittman. With Alabama’s offensive line coach Brent Key recently leaving to join Geoff Collins at Georgia Tech, don’t be surprised if the Crimson Tide turns their eyes toward Pittman. No way that Georgia would give up Pittman without a vicious fight, but it’s awfully hard to out-compensate Bama. All this activity at Georgia on Friday underscores two things: One, it shows how special it was what happened when”the Big Four” — Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, Lorenzo Carter and Davin Bellamy — decided to come back to play with the Bulldogs in 2017; and, two, what a tremendous job Nick Saban has done keeping Alabama atop college football’s loftiest peak for so long with players and coaches always coming and going. There once was a time when transfers, draft early-entry, and coaching movement were a rarity. But such ingress and egress is increasingly commonplace, especially around successful programs. Everybody’s seeking their own slice of the pie, players included. Can’t blame them for that. For years college football student-athletes were a trapped and exploited labor pool constricted by the NCAA’s archaic rules regarding amateurism and transfers. But as money has come pouring into the game from lucrative television contracts and coaches’ salaries continue to escalate at a breakneck pace, it has become increasingly hypocritical to tell the persons responsible for providing all the actual entertainment that they’re not permitted to go somewhere they believe might suit them better. That goes double after that we witnessed last week. Manny Diaz abandoned his just-secured head coaching job at Temple to take a better one at Miami, and right after the early-signing period. That’s why all players need now is a reason enough to check one of the boxes on the NCAA’s transfer form and they’re good to go. Like it or not, Fields and Ford both were able to check a box. As for the Georgia players with professional aspirations, who can fault them of that? There’s nothing more American than being able to seek a good wage doing what you do best. It comes with risks both ways, staying or going, and as Nauta so eloquently explained, nothing’s guaranteed. But when the game you play can reap millions and the ability to play it comes with a limited shelf life, who’s to say these guys shouldn’t be leaving now or could have benefited later? And we can never be sure of what’s going on back home or in the classroom. Sometime needs and circumstances trump logic. Some people in chatrooms Friday were calling it “The Fields Effect,” as if it was the unexpected reaction of some high-profile players to the newly-departed quarterback not getting a fair shot at Georgia. I don’t buy that. Friday definitely was not a good day for Georgia as far as the football program’s selfish pursuits go. But players have selfish pursuits, too, and they don’t always run lockstep with those of the university or the head coach. Yes, this whirlwind of postseason activity has come with a cost for Georgia. I’d say about one New Year’s Six bowl game so far. That said, I believe Smart has handled all the developments about as well as he could. I felt like he bent over backward — almost to a detrimental degree — to keep Fields happy and try to keep him in Athens. And, in the end, sending lots of underclassmen to the league is a positive thing for your program. So you can bet Smart will be out there in the next couple of weeks trying to talk more 5-stars into coming to UGA to fulfill their NFL dreams. And this time next year, we can probably expect more of the same. The post Georgia coach Kirby Smart now dealing with toughest part of managing a top-tier program appeared first on DawgNation.
  • UGA coach Kirby Smart issued a statement on Friday evening about the four underclassmen who announced earlier that they were leaving the Bulldogs early for the NFL. They are running back Elijah Holyfield, receiver Riley Ridley, tight end Isaac Nauta, and receiver Mecole Hardman. “We wish the best to Mecole Hardman, Elijah Holyfield, Isaac Nauta and Riley Ridley as they pursue their careers at the next level. All four of these juniors contributed significantly to our success during the last two seasons and we look forward to them making the best out of their shot at the NFL. As with all our players, we also will encourage them to complete their degrees to get prepared for the next chapter of their lives.” UGA fans are still awaiting word on some other juniors, including safety J.R. Reed. Smart did not make a statement on two other UGA players who will be transferring. Quarterback Justin Fields is headed to Ohio State, while tight end Luke Ford will be going home to Illinois. The post Kirby Smart issues statement on UGA’s NFL-bound juniors appeared first on DawgNation.