Fields of Dreams: Georgia lands No. 1 player in nation
Another recruiting class, another five-star quarterback for Georgia head coach Kirby Smart.
Justin Fields, the nation’s top-rated prospect, announced his decision Friday to commit to Georgia. The announcement capped Harrison’s pep rally ahead of its homecoming game against Sprayberry.
This marks the third consecutive year that Smart and offensive coordinator Jim Chaney have landed a five-star signal-caller (according to the Rivals.com rankings). Fields and freshman Jake Fromm decided to stay in-state, while Jacob Eason — the top pro-style quarterback in 2016 — opted to leave home as the Washington state product headed to the SEC.
Fields has been the Bulldogs’ top target since he stepped away from his Penn State commitment on June 6. Fields already has taken two visits to Georgia this season, including an official visit Sept. 23 for the Mississippi State game. He also visited Auburn, Alabama and LSU for Saturday home games this season.
Florida State also seemed to be a contender for Fields, but his last visit to Tallahassee came during the summer. For Georgia, it took a collective effort to draw the continuous interest of its priority target.
A number of Bulldogs commits made it known that Fields was their top priority and took to Twitter frequently to implore the sought-after prospect to join them — and Fields’ sister Jaiden, a Georgia softball commit — in Athens.
Those efforts paid off, and Georgia now has 16 commitments for its 2018 class. Fields and Zamir White are the top-rated prospects for their respective positions. The current group ranks fourth-best in the conference, but top targets such as offensive tackle Jamaree Salyer, offensive guard Trey Hill and running back James Cook still remain on the Bulldogs’ radar.
“It hasn’t been bad recruiting him, and I played 7-on-7 with him,” said Kearis Jackson, a four-star wide receiver commit from Peach County. “We were able to build a relationship through that, and I feel like I’ve recruited him hard. The Georgia family received something special (Friday).”
Through the halfway mark of his senior campaign, the 6-foot-3, 221-pound quarterback has 974 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, along with 575 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
Fields possesses a true dual-threat ability and his arsenal of talents has drawn comparisons to former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton — who has won an MVP award with the Carolina Panthers. Georgia hasn’t had a dual-threat quarterback contribute since D.J. Shockley’s senior season in 2005.
Fields’ talents were best-publicized during events such as Newton’s 7-on-7 showcase, The Opening and a number of different summer events which provided exposure to college coaches. Those efforts paid off for the in-state quarterback as he was named to the Under Armour All-America Game roster on Sept. 6.
During those events, Fields has been able to play alongside a number of Georgia commits.
“It is amazing to have one of the best quarterback prospects I’ve seen,” said Christopher Smith III, a four-star defensive back who committed to Georgia on May 1. “His ability to run and throw is simply amazing.”
This story was originally published October 6, 2017 at 11:02 AM with the headline "Fields of Dreams: Georgia lands No. 1 player in nation."