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With Justin Fields drama percolating, 4-star QB Dwan Mathis flips from Ohio State to Georgia

sam cooper
College football writer
Dwan Mathis, a four-star quarterback from Michigan, has flipped his commitment from Ohio State to Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
Dwan Mathis, a four-star quarterback from Michigan, has flipped his commitment from Ohio State to Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

With Justin Fields almost certainly transferring, Georgia was in the market for a quarterback to add to its 2019 recruiting class.

And it got one on Wednesday out from under a school that is very much in the hunt for Fields: Ohio State.

At a ceremony at his school Wednesday morning, Dwan Mathis, a four-star QB recruit from Oak Park, Michigan, announced his commitment to Georgia. Mathis had been committed to Ohio State since June, but Georgia made a late charge for Mathis while Fields, a five-star recruit from the 2018 class, put his name in the NCAA’s transfer database earlier this week.

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What does this mean for Georgia?

Mathis is quite the late addition for Georgia. He is rated by Rivals.com as the second-best dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 class and the No. 102 overall prospect in the country.

Georgia is actually the fourth school Mathis has committed to during his recruitment. As a sophomore, Mathis made a verbal pledge to Iowa State before switching to in-state Michigan State as a junior. From there, he switched to Ohio State before finally announcing his commitment to Georgia in the early signing period Wednesday.

With Fields out of the picture and John Plumlee, a three-star UGA commitment, not expected to sign during the early signing period (UGA is asking Plumlee to blueshirt), the Bulldogs were looking at the possibility of having just one scholarship quarterback — starter Jake Fromm — on the roster after the season ended.

Now, the 6-foot-4 Mathis is in the fold.

What does this mean for Ohio State?

According to Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel, Ohio State is expected to lose star quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who finished third in the Heisman voting, to the NFL draft.

While Haskins will play in the Rose Bowl, the confluence of his insane finish – 14 touchdown passes and three more rushing in the final three games – and a weak high-end quarterback crop make his NFL decision a formality. As early as October, his quarterback coach Quincy Avery told Yahoo Sports: “If he has a first-round grade, he’s going to be playing in the NFL next year.” His arm talent is rare enough that scouts don’t see him getting past the first round.

Fields, the No. 2 overall recruit in 2018, could potentially fill the void left behind by Haskins. Thamel reported Tuesday night that Ohio State and Oklahoma are the two “clear-cut choices” for Fields, who will attempt to appeal to the NCAA for immediate eligibility in 2019.

Putting the Fields situation aside, Ohio State has plenty of other quarterbacks on the roster, including Tate Martell, a top-40 recruit from the 2017 class who has served as Haskins’ backup this season. The Buckeyes also have Matthew Baldwin, a four-star 2018 recruit, on the roster. According to Thamel, Baldwin has impressed during his time at OSU but is not considered ready to see the field just yet.

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