Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields has had an up-and-down start to his NFL career. After three seasons with the Chicago Bears — during which he threw for 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions — the teams decided to move on and draft Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Steelers acquired Fields over the offseason in exchange for a conditional 2025 sixth-round draft pick, giving Fields a fresh start. Prior to entering the NFL, where did Fields go to college? Let’s revisit his journey to the league.
Where Did Justin Fields Commit to Out of High School?
Fields initially committed to Penn State in December 2016, when he was unranked in ESPN’s top-300 players in his class. He received offers from North Carolina, Duke, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and Harvard.
However, after breaking out in high school, Fields jumped from unranked to No. 8 overall in ESPN’s class rankings, so he decided to decommit from Penn State and reopen his recruitment. Eventually, Fields climbed ESPN’s rankings to become the No. 1 overall player in the 2018 class.
Since he was the top player in his class, Fields received offers from just about every top program in the country. After considering Florida State, Auburn, LSU, and Alabama, he ultimately committed to Georgia in October 2017.
Fields’ sister, Jaiden, committed to play softball at Georgia before he committed to the school. Jaiden recently finished her career at Georgia as a second-team All-SEC infielder.
What Happened to Fields at Georgia?
As a freshman, Fields completed 27 of 39 passes for 328 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions in 12 games. He also rushed for 266 yards and four touchdowns on 42 carries in limited action.
Sophomore quarterback Jake Fromm started all 14 games and helped lead Georgia to the Sugar Bowl. He had started 28 of his 29 career games with the Bulldogs and led the team to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
During the 2018 season, there were reports that Fields might transfer from Georgia after his freshman year. Possible destinations for Fields included Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Florida State. He eventually decided to join the Buckeyes.
Fields received a waiver from the NCAA to play immediately because he was the target of a racial slur in September 2018. The slur was said by a Georgia baseball player, who was quickly dismissed from the team.
“I have no regrets about my time at UGA and have no hard feelings for the school or football program,” Fields said.
How Did Fields Play at Ohio State?
Fields played two seasons at Ohio State and led the team to the College Football Playoff both seasons. He was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020.
While at Ohio State, Fields threw for 63 touchdown passes with nine interceptions while also running for 15 scores in 22 games. Ohio State was 20-2 with Fields under center, with the only two losses coming in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes lost to Clemson in the semifinals in 2019 and Alabama in the title game in 2020.
In 2019, Fields was a Heisman Trophy finalist, and he became the first quarterback in Big Ten history with 40 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns.