Where could Georgia QB Justin Fields play next?

Where could Georgia QB Justin Fields play next?

Where could Georgia QB Justin Fields play next?

Georgia freshman quarterback Justin Fields, the No. 1 prospect in the 2018 ESPN 300, is widely expected to transfer once the season ends.

Fields played sparingly in 12 games with the Bulldogs this past season. By midseason, the writing was on the wall: He was going to have a very difficult time unseating two-year starter Jake Fromm, who has a 23-4 record as UGA's starter and ranked No. 3 among FBS quarterbacks in Total QBR (88.0) in 2018.

Fields, from Kennesaw, Georgia, is expected to enroll at another school for spring semester and apply for a hardship waiver from the NCAA, and that, if granted, would allow him to play this coming season. Without the waiver, Fields would have to sit out the 2019 season under transfer rules.

A talent like Fields will have his pick of virtually any school in the country. But here are a handful of schools that Fields might consider:

Auburn

Current QBs expected to return: Joey Gatewood, Malik Willis, Cord Sandberg
2019 QB recruits: Bo Nix, No. 50 in ESPN 300

Why it makes sense for Auburn: The Tigers are already in the market for a transfer quarterback, after starter Jarrett Stidham announced earlier this month that he's forgoing his final season and entering April's NFL draft. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn has had past success with transfer quarterbacks, including Stidham, Nick Marshall and Cam Newton.

The Tigers missed out on former Clemson starter Kelly Bryant, who transferred to Missouri. They're expected to be in the mix for Arizona starter Khalil Tate, if he decides to leave as a graduate transfer this spring.

As it stands, three quarterbacks who played sparingly this past season -- Willis, Gatewood and Sandberg -- would battle for the starting job this spring. Nix, the son of former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix, guided Pinson Valley High School to back-to-back Alabama Class 6A state championships. He's one of the more highly rated quarterbacks to sign with Auburn in quite a while.

Why it makes sense for Fields: Malzahn's offense is at its best with a mobile quarterback, and Fields certainly fits that mold. Malzahn is taking over the playcalling this coming season; he recently hired Memphis assistant Kenny Dillingham as his offensive coordinator.

Florida

Current quarterbacks expected to return: Feleipe Franks, Emory Jones, Kyle Trask
2019 QB recruits: Jalon Jones, No. 207 in ESPN 300

Why it makes sense for Florida: Even though sophomore Franks made great strides under first-year coach Dan Mullen, the Gators' offense was still wildly inconsistent in 2018. The Gators averaged only 18 points against ranked opponents and 20.8 against teams with winning records. Franks completed 58.5 percent of his passes for 2,284 yards with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. The Gators are also excited about two players behind him, freshman Jones and sophomore Trask, although neither was ranked nearly as high as Fields.

Why it makes sense for Fields: Mullen has a fantastic reputation of developing quarterbacks, especially bigger passers who can run. He turned Mississippi State's Dak Prescott into one of the most productive players in SEC history, and his successor, Nick Fitzgerald, wasn't bad, either. Choosing Florida, however, might leave Fields as public enemy No. 1 in Athens, Georgia.

Florida State

Current QBs expected to return: Deondre Francois, James Blackman
2019 QB recruits: Sam Howell, No. 119 in ESPN 300

Why it makes sense for Florida State: The Seminoles were an absolute mess on offense during a 5-7 campaign in coach Willie Taggart's first season. FSU ranked next to last in the ACC in scoring (21.9 points) and total offense (361.2 yards), which was a big reason why it finished with a losing record for the first time since 1976 and missed a bowl game for the first time since 1981.

Francois, a junior, started all but one game in 2018, after missing most of the previous season with a knee injury. He ranked No. 2 in the ACC in passing yards per game (248.3), but he completed only 57.3 percent of his attempts and tossed 12 interceptions while playing behind a terrible offensive line. FSU ranked third worst among Power 5 teams with three sacks allowed per game.

Blackman, a sophomore, started one game when Francois was hurt, throwing for 421 yards with four touchdowns in a 47-28 loss at NC State. There's speculation that Francois might leave as a graduate transfer. That would leave Blackman to compete for the job with Howell, a four-star prospect from Monroe, North Carolina, who is ranked the No. 7 pocket passer by ESPN Recruiting.

Why it makes sense for Fields: Taggart tried to woo Fields to Tallahassee shortly after he was hired as FSU's coach in early December 2017. Fields' mobility might make him a perfect fit for Taggart's Gulf Coast Offense, which thrives when the quarterback is a threat to run. Fields probably would need assurances that FSU's offensive line would be vastly better in 2019.

LSU

Current QBs expected to return: Joe Burrow, Andre Sale, Myles Brennan
2019 QB recruits: Peter Parrish, No. 185 in ESPN 300

Why it makes sense for LSU: The Tigers have relied heavily on quarterback transfers the past several seasons, including Zach Mettenberger (Georgia), Danny Etling (Purdue) and current starter Joe Burrow (Ohio State). LSU hoped to improve its passing game with Burrow this past season, but it still ranked ninth in the SEC in passing (214.7 yards) and eighth in scoring (31.8 points).

Why it makes sense for Fields: He considered the Tigers coming out of high school and made an official visit to campus. He would have a good chance of unseating Burrow, who completed 57.4 percent of his passes for 2,500 yards with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. Brennan has played sparingly the past two seasons, after he was ranked the No. 4 pocket passer by ESPN in 2017. The Tigers were a little more balanced under offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger in 2018, but it's still very much a run-first offense.

Ohio State

Current QBs expected to return: Tate Martell, Matthew Baldwin, Chris Chugunov
2019 QB recruits: Dwan Mathis, No. 299 in ESPN 300

Why it makes sense for Ohio State: The Buckeyes are expected to lose record-setting quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who thrived in an offense that pivoted to a pass-first unit under the direction of Ryan Day, who takes over as head coach Jan. 2. Martell is a different type of player -- more like the pre-Haskins Urban Meyer quarterbacks who are more dangerous as runners -- and while Baldwin could better fit the direction Day wants to go, he's not the talent Fields is. Mathis is a higher-rated recruit than Baldwin was, and a legitimate dual threat like Fields, but the Ohio State coaches might see more upside with Fields.

Why it makes sense for Fields: Day's work with Haskins, who likely will be the first Big Ten quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL draft since Penn State's Kerry Collins in 1995, should be incredibly appealing to a player like Fields. Rather than play for a defense-first coach in Kirby Smart and a run-first offensive coordinator in Jim Chaney, Fields can thrive under a coach whose primary focus is developing quarterbacks and passing the football.

Oklahoma

Current QBs expected to return: Austin Kendall, Tanner Mordecai
2019 QB recruits: Spencer Rattler, No. 17 in ESPN 300

Why it makes sense for Oklahoma: The Sooners have produced the past two Heisman Trophy winners, both quarterbacks, and refuse to let the standard slip in 2019. A player of Fields' talent level might be more appealing than Kendall, who has been solid in limited action but might not have the ceiling that Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray displayed. Rattler is an interesting comparison, as he's ESPN's top-rated dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 class, just as Fields was in the 2018 class. But Fields is also 2 inches taller and about 40 pounds heavier, and he's already been through a season at an elite Power 5 program in Georgia.

Why it makes sense for Fields: Lincoln Riley. That's the sales pitch. He has produced Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks in his first two seasons as a head coach -- and both transferred to OU from other FBS schools. His offense is tailored to quarterbacks like Fields with big arms and the ability to gash defenses with their feet. Any quarterback would want to play for Riley at OU right now.

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