Vanderbilt Lands Five-Star QB Jared Curtis in Monumental Recruiting Flip
Vanderbilt just pulled off one of the biggest recruiting coups in program history - and it’s not hyperbole. Jared Curtis, a five-star quarterback out of Nashville Christian, has flipped his commitment from Georgia to the Commodores, giving head coach Clark Lea a game-changing addition to his 2026 class.
Curtis, a junior, is rated by Rivals as the No. 1 quarterback in the 2026 cycle and the No. 2 overall prospect in the country. At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, he’s the kind of quarterback who doesn’t just check boxes - he rewrites them.
Big arm? Check.
Pocket presence? Check.
Playmaker instincts? Off the charts.
This is a quarterback who can take over a game with his arm, his legs, and his poise under pressure. And now, he’s staying home in Nashville.
For Vanderbilt, this isn’t just a big win - it’s a seismic shift.
Why Curtis Chose Vanderbilt
Let’s start with the obvious: opportunity. With current starter and Heisman candidate Diego Pavia wrapping up his college career after this season, the path to early playing time is wide open. Curtis isn’t walking into a crowded quarterback room - he’s walking into a competition he’s expected to be part of from Day 1.
But it’s more than just depth charts and reps. Vanderbilt’s rise under Clark Lea has been hard to ignore.
The Commodores have made tangible progress on the field, and that momentum is starting to show up on the recruiting trail. Add in a strong NIL infrastructure and a development-focused pitch, and you’ve got a formula that’s clearly resonating with top-tier talent.
“There is a lot of great hype right now with Vanderbilt,” said Peter Webb, Curtis’ agent at QB Reps, earlier this fall. “The city is hot right now.
They beat LSU. They beat Bama last year.
I think they’ve done a great job to pique his interest and get him curious about the program. There is a lot of good things happening with Vanderbilt.”
He’s not wrong. Vanderbilt’s recent wins over SEC powerhouses have turned heads. Now, they’re starting to turn commitments too.
What Curtis Brings to the Commodores
This isn’t just a five-star label - Curtis has the production to back it up. Over the past two seasons, he’s been one of the most efficient and explosive quarterbacks in the high school game.
As a junior, Curtis completed over 70 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,830 yards and 40 touchdowns. And he wasn’t just doing damage through the air - he added 18 rushing scores as well. That’s dual-threat dominance at its finest.
His senior season has been just as impressive, even in limited action. In just five games, he’s already thrown for 1,005 yards and 14 touchdowns, with four more scores on the ground. He’s the kind of quarterback who can take over a game in multiple ways - and that versatility is going to be huge as Vanderbilt looks to make a leap in the coming years.
Who Vanderbilt Beat Out
Curtis originally committed to Georgia back in May, choosing the Bulldogs over Oregon. But he also drew serious interest from Alabama, Ohio State, and South Carolina - programs that don’t just hand out offers to anyone.
This wasn’t a case of a big name slipping through the cracks. Curtis was on the radar of every major program in the country.
That’s what makes this flip so significant. Vanderbilt didn’t just land a local prospect - they beat out blue bloods to do it. And they did it by selling a vision that’s clearly taking shape under Lea.
What This Means for Vanderbilt
Let’s call it what it is: a program-defining moment. Curtis is the highest-rated high school quarterback to choose Vanderbilt since Jay Cutler - and that’s not a comparison thrown around lightly in Nashville.
This commitment gives the Commodores their 21st pledge in a surging 2026 class, and it instantly raises the ceiling for what this group - and this program - can become. In the new era of the expanded College Football Playoff, where depth and quarterback play matter more than ever, Curtis could be the cornerstone Vanderbilt needs to make a real push toward national relevance.
Landing a five-star quarterback is one thing. Landing this five-star quarterback, at this time, says Vanderbilt isn’t just aiming to compete - they’re building to win.