Vanderbilt’s quarterback plan for now points to Blaze Berlowitz, but Auburn probably shouldn’t bank on that being the version it sees on September 26.
The Commodores have named Berlowitz their QB1, yet the more likely long-term answer appears to be Jared Curtis, the five-star freshman who could be in line to take over before Vanderbilt comes to Jordan-Hare Stadium in Week 4. Berlowitz has the early edge after a strong fall camp, and his work showed the kind of patience and timing in the pocket that helped him secure the job to start. Curtis, for all the buzz around him, simply didn’t do enough in camp to win it outright.
That said, Vanderbilt may not feel much pressure to play it safe for long. Clark Lea’s team is coming into a season where a step back is expected, and that changes the calculation.
The Commodores return just 44% of their overall production, which ranks No. 106 nationally and dead last in the SEC. On offense, only 39% is back.
In that kind of setup, continuity matters less than finding the player who can create something bigger.
And that’s where Curtis comes in.
He’s the more explosive option by a clear margin. As a senior at Nashville Christian, Curtis threw 36 passing touchdowns, including five in a Division II Class A state championship game win.
Vanderbilt didn’t bring him in by accident, either. The program spent major money to pull him away from Georgia, and with that kind of investment, the Commodores have every reason to see what they really have.
There are a couple of chances for that switch to happen before Auburn arrives. Week 2 against Delaware could be the first one.
The Fightin’ Blue Hens are viewed as a team that could contend in Conference USA, and they bring back First Team All-CUSA free safety KT Seay and middle linebacker Gavin Moul, who finished top-20 in the FBS with 111 tackles last year. That could be enough to make life uncomfortable for Berlowitz and force some second thoughts from Lea and Vanderbilt’s lead play-caller, Tim Beck.
NC State could be another test. If second-year defensive coordinator DJ Eliot has built a defense in fall camp that looks like the Wolfpack units from 2022 and 2023, that could be a problem too. There isn’t a ton of returning talent there, but the new faces might be a positive in Raleigh.
Austin Peay is the Week 1 showcase, but the stretch of two FBS opponents before Auburn could be where the conversation shifts. If Berlowitz struggles, Vanderbilt may decide it has seen enough and turn the offense over to Curtis sooner rather than later.
The comparison between the two is pretty straightforward: Berlowitz offers steadiness, while Curtis offers a much higher ceiling and maybe a lower floor. If Vanderbilt wants the best chance to hit big plays and grow quickly, the freshman is the obvious swing. And if the Commodores are willing to embrace that, Auburn may get a much different quarterback look than the one currently listed on the depth chart.
Berlowitz is the starter today. Curtis still looks like the quarterback who should be standing there when Week 4 rolls around.
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Golesh also pointed back to the fourth-down approach he had at his previous stop, a reminder that the philosophy is only part of the equation. For Auburn, the bigger takeaway is that this staff seems prepared to push the issue when it makes sense, but not at the expense of execution, which is where the real test begins once Baylor arrives. [Read more 🡒]