Take Two: How will Ohio State QB puzzle come together?

Take Two returns with another offering tackling a handful of issues in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites.

MORE TAKE TWO: Does LSU have inside track for five-star Ishmael Sopsher?

There are still a lot of moving parts when it comes to Ohio State’s quarterback situation next season, even with Dwayne Haskins leaving early for the NFL Draft.

The situation remains interesting especially since transfer Justin Fields could gain immediate eligibility with a hardship waiver after leaving Georgia.

What looks to be an offseason quarterback battle is shaping up between Fields, a five-star prospect and the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2018 class, and Tate Martell, who was Haskins’ backup this season, played in six games and was mainly used as a running option - much like Fields with the Bulldogs.

Martell is no slouch himself. Rated as the second-best dual-threat quarterback in the 2017 class, the Las Vegas Bishop Gorman standout put up huge numbers in high school.

The idea seems to be if Fields gets the hardship waiver and can play immediately, he would be the favorite to start for the Buckeyes next season. But are some people discounting Martell’s ability and his advanced knowledge of what coach Ryan Day wants to do with the offense?

“People are always going to be drawn to the unknown and that is what Fields offers to many people, a new player to the team with plenty of potential but honestly nobody was following UGA that closely to really know much more about him than his press clippings and stat pages. The Buckeyes are going to need Martell, Fields and Matthew Baldwin all to be ready this upcoming season as it appears a generational quarterback in Haskins will be hard-pressed to say ‘no’ to the NFL and there will be a deep void at the position.

“Many people are not giving Martell a fair shake based on what they saw with Martell in the red zone package, a package where the Buckeyes did not allow the talented back-up an opportunity to throw the ball. It was not all that long ago that fans were antsy to see Martell see the field for a series or two, regardless of how good Haskins was performing. The Fields over Martell argument is just an offshoot of that.

“Ohio State absolutely needs Fields to get that waiver, however, with a thin quarterback room that still feels the void of losing Joe Burrow, the last-second change-of-heart of Dwan Mathis and of course the inevitable loss of Haskins. A QB room with just Martell, Baldwin and West Virginia transfer Chris Chugunov is not going to provide the type of depth that anyone is going to want to see. While nobody can actually predict what the NCAA is going to do from case to case, you have to have the feeling that this one is going to turn out in favor of Fields, and it should set up one of the most anticipated QB battles in recent memory around these parts.”

"It all depends on the waiver. If Fields has to sit out and Martell gets a year to show what he can do, I have little doubt that he would put up big numbers in that offense because he's a talented kid. But if Fields gets the waiver I think he’s bigger, he’s a little bit more athletic, more talented and has a higher ceiling.

"So if Fields gets the waiver, it will be his team. If he doesn’t, I would expect Martell to do very well.”