With Georgia’s highly touted freshman quarterback Justin Fields exploring a transfer after a season in which he was used strictly as a backup, here are four questions and answers about the situation.
Q: Where do things stand with Fields?
A: As USA TODAY Sports reported Monday night, Fields has notified Georgia he intends to transfer at the end of the season. That notification is significant in the new NCAA transfer process. Whereas athletes used to need to get a “permission to contact” release from schools when they wanted to transfer, which led to some questionable behavior by coaches blocking certain destinations, an athlete now only needs to notify the school, which then must place the name in an NCAA portal within two business days.
Fields made that request Friday, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the announcement is not official. That means, unless he decides to pull his request, he will be in the NCAA transfer database by the end of Tuesday and officially become a free agent. At that point, any school will be able to see his name in the database and be allowed to recruit him.
Of course, that does not mean Fields will definitely transfer. People have changed their minds before. Some athletes have left and come back. And certainly Georgia coach Kirby Smart does not want to lose Fields and will continue trying to lure him back, especially if he stays with the team through the Sugar Bowl.
However, going so far as to request your name be put into the transfer portal is a pretty good indication of where this is heading.
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