When Dwan Mathis flipped his commitment Wednesday from Ohio State to Georgia, it wasn't just "about Justin Fields."
Mathis is a 6-foot-6, 210-pound 4-star dual-threat quarterback from Oak Park High School just outside of Detroit. Mathis had been committed to the Buckeyes since summer and last visited Athens more than a year ago.
On Monday, backup quarterback Justin Fields told Georgia staff he was exploring transfer options. Ohio State is the reported front-runner to land the dual-threat passer from Kennesaw. Mathis said his decision to sign with Georgia was solely based on his opportunity to play.
"It's not always about Justin Fields,"Mathis told The Detroit News. "I didn't know if Fields was going to Ohio State so I decided to go to a place that I had the best chance of playing at in a couple of years."
Mathis was 110-of-176 passing last season with 20 touchdowns. As a three-year starter, he passed for more than 5,000 yards and rushed for more than 2,000 yards.
If Fields decides to stay in Athens the quarterback depth chart will be more crowded than this season. In addition to starter Jake Fromm and Mathis, Georgia also will have former walk-on quarterback Stetson Bennett IV and 2019 commit John Rhys Plumlee on the roster. Plumlee will reportedly blue shirt — meaning, he would be on scholarship and could practice, but not play.
Coach Kirby Smart offered this assessment of Mathis during a press conference Wednesday: “We liked (Mathis’) athleticism and his arm motion. He’s got a really strong whip, he can pop the ball. We didn’t stay in communication the whole time from (this summer) to finding out Justin was leaving.”
Mathis said he’d enroll at Georgia early and is expected to begin classes Jan. 6, 2019.
“I’ve been wavering back and forth for the last couple of days, but I decided today (Wednesday) really. I decided to go to Georgia because of my chances of playing more. They only have one quarterback on scholarship on their roster (Fromm). I’m enrolling early, can’t wait to get there.”
Smart said that Mathis’ decision couldn’t have been easy.
“From a recruiting perspective it was challenging for us. Put yourself in the shoes of a kid trying to decide whether to come to Georgia as a quarterback. You don’t know if (Fields) is going to be there or not, that makes it tough.”
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