Has Ohio State's Justin Fields played his last college game?

By Ashley Bastock / The Blade
Tue, 11 Aug 2020 20:11:24 GMT

Has Justin Fields played his last game at Ohio State?

That question will certainly become wildly popular after the Big Ten on Tuesday announced it will postpone the 2020 football season due to ongoing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. The conference continues to keep the option of playing in the spring open.

Fields has played one season at Ohio State. The quarterback was one of the best players in college football last season and figures to be a top pick in next year's National Football League draft. According to nflmockdraftdatabase.com's consensus mock draft, Fields' most popular position available mock drafts is No. 4 overall.

The likelihood of the NFL moving its draft is unclear, especially if only a few Power Five conferences join the Big Ten in the spring. So top prospects like Fields could face a choice: play with their team or prepare for the pre-draft process.

ESPN NFL analyst Booger McFarland said on a recent episode of “NFL Live” that top players will skip the spring season.

“If they play a spring season,” he said, “you are not going to see the top prospects. Anyone who thinks they have a chance at getting drafted, anyone who is a first-, second-, or third-round pick, they are not going to play.”

Another ESPN analyst, Marcus Spears, said on a recent episode of “Get Up!” it would be “asinine” for players like Fields to play.

Before the Big Ten's postponement, Fields said he had not thought about opting out of a fall season like other stars, such as Minnesota's Rashod Bateman or Penn State's Micah Parsons.

“I feel like people really have different situations on whether they should opt out or not,” Fields said in a recent teleconference. “Some people’s families might not be as financially stable as others, but me growing up as a kid, I’ve always been a competitor. I’ve always just loved to play football. Growing up with my family, I never really needed anything. I think my family has provided me with everything I’ve needed. So getting to the money as fast as I can isn’t really a priority for me.”

Fields was part of the showing of unity early Monday morning by players hoping to save the fall season, tweeting "There’s been too much work put in!!"

Fields, a five-star recruit, transferred to Ohio State from Georgia before last season. He completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,273 yards with 41 touchdowns and three interceptions, while rushing for 484 yards and 10 scores. He finished third in Heisman Trophy voting behind seniors Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow.

Ohio State's season ultimately ended in the College Football Playoff semifinals against Clemson. Fields' final play in that game was an interception in the end zone with 37 seconds left in the contest.

After Tuesday's Big Ten decision, it might've been his final pass at Ohio State.

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