Justin Fields appears to be the frontrunner to become Ohio State's starting quarterback next season, he just has to be eligible first.
The former five-star Georgia transfer is awaiting a decision on a hardship waiver filed to the NCAA that would grant him immediate eligibility.
When he spoke to the media on Wednesday for the first time since his transfer, Fields didn't go into much detail about the pending decision, other than that he's waiting just like everybody else.
"I don't really know much about this process," Fields said. "All that lawyer stuff – my job is strictly football. All this NCAA stuff, I really don't have a great understanding of it. I'm just here to make the team better."
Fields realizes that ultimately, the decision is out of his control right now, so he's simply focusing on football and being the best player he can be.
“Whatever happens, happens. And everything happens for a reason.”– Justin Fields
"I'm not really anxious, I'm not really rushing anything," Fields said. "I don't really control that, they do. I'm just trying to get here to be the best quarterback I can be.
Fields would not go into the specifics of his hardship waiver or his case to the NCAA, nor would he give any sort of indication about his level of confidence regarding his eligibility next season.
"I don't really have a confidence level," Fields said. "I'm not really worried about it, to be honest. Whatever happens, happens. And everything happens for a reason."
The prevailing belief is that Fields will indeed be granted his hardship waiver and will be eligible to play for Ohio State next year, but nothing is certain. And in the event his waiver is denied, Fields is ready to take it in stride.
"I'll just put my head down and keep working," Fields said. "I can't control that, I'll just be ready for the next season."
