Jared Curtis went to Vanderbilt with one clear path in mind: win the quarterback job and play right away. But a new projection from On3 has thrown that plan into doubt, and it gives Georgia fans a chance to enjoy the irony.
Curtis, the former five-star Georgia commit, flipped to the Commodores after twice being committed to Kirby Smart’s program. He first pledged to Georgia, backed off, then committed again before making the late switch to Vanderbilt just days before signing day. One of the biggest reasons for the move was simple - he wanted a shot to start as a true freshman.
That logic made sense on the surface. Gunner Stockton is back as Georgia’s starter, so Curtis was never going to walk into Athens and beat him out this season. Diego Pavia is also gone at Vanderbilt, which opened the door for Curtis to potentially take over immediately.
Instead, On3’s projection has Curtis losing the starting job heading into the 2026 season. That would be a brutal outcome for a quarterback who left Georgia specifically to avoid waiting his turn.
The timing makes it even more interesting for Georgia. Vanderbilt is on the Bulldogs’ schedule this season, so there was already a chance for Georgia to face Curtis directly. If he ends up not winning the job at all, that would be an even sharper twist in the recruitment saga.
Of course, if Curtis does win the Vanderbilt job, the move will look a lot more justified. He was not going to start at Georgia this year, and finding a Power Four spot where he could play immediately would have been the whole point.
But if he can’t beat out the competition in Nashville, the decision gets a lot harder to defend. He could have stayed with Georgia, developed for a year, and then pushed for the starting job in Athens ahead of the 2027 season. And based on the way the situation is laid out, he would have had a strong chance to do exactly that.
For now, the whole thing comes down to whether Curtis can actually seize the Vanderbilt job. If he can’t, Georgia may end up getting the last laugh after all.
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Tennessee Finally Gets The National Respect Vols Fans Wanted
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Rick Barnes has used the transfer portal to reshape the group with a clear eye toward more scoring punch, adding Juke Harris, Terrence Hill Jr., Jalan Haralson, Dai Dai Ames, Miles Rubin, Braedan Lue, Christian Fermin and DeWayne Brown II. The Vols still want to win the familiar way, with defense and rebounding at the center of everything, but the real test is coming soon enough in a demanding non-conference slate that should say plenty about how ready this team is for the postseason. [Read more 🡒]