Jared Curtis didn’t sound like a freshman quarterback trying to stay out of trouble after Vanderbilt’s win at Mississippi State. He sounded like a player who believes the season is still alive.
That was the message he delivered Saturday, and he didn’t walk it back when he spoke again Tuesday. Curtis said Vanderbilt can still chase a bowl game, even with the Commodores sitting at 4-6.
“Like I said,” Curtis said Tuesday, in reference to his Saturday interview, “We’re still fighting for a bowl game. That’s still a possibility.
That’s what the team wants and we’re going to keep pushing for that. We’ve got three more games to play.”
The path is steep. Vanderbilt’s final three opponents are Alabama, Florida and Tennessee, a brutal closing stretch that will make bowl eligibility a serious climb. But Curtis isn’t backing off the idea, even if the numbers make it look like a long shot.
That kind of belief fits the pitch that brought him to Nashville in the first place. When Curtis flipped from Georgia to Vanderbilt and became the program’s first five-star recruit, he talked about being drawn to the underdog. Now he’s living inside that label, with the Commodores needing to do something they haven’t done consistently all season if they want to keep the postseason conversation going.
Curtis knows the challenge is bigger than just the standings. He also knows his own play has to rise with it.
Through eight appearances and six starts, he has thrown for 1,657 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. He’s completed 64.7 percent of his passes, posted a 131.4 quarterback rating, and added 172 rushing yards on 72 carries with two rushing touchdowns. Curtis’ own read on the season is simple: he has to be better, and he has to protect the ball more.
That self-assessment lines up with the way Vanderbilt views his growth. Coach Clark Lea says the offense is starting to take shape around Curtis, and Curtis says the game is slowing down for him. The fact that he was back at the microphone Tuesday, after being kept away from the media through fall camp and the first six weeks of the season, suggested the same thing: he looks more settled.
In a four-minute, 30-second session in Vanderbilt’s team room, named after former defensive back Casey Hayward, Curtis gave the kind of answer that showed where his biggest progress has come.
“I'd say recognizing pressures and defenses, getting out of previous play to get to the new play,” Curtis said in regard to where he’s improved the most since arriving on Vanderbilt’s campus a year ago as an early enrollee, “And then, just still trying to get the trust from the O-line and the offense to make sure that they know that I'm putting them in the right play.”
That answer may matter more than the bowl chatter. Vanderbilt’s bigger concern is what the program looks like beyond 2026, and who will be part of its next rise. If Curtis stays, the school seems confident he will be central to that future.
For now, these last three games are about what he shows over the final stretch. Vanderbilt wants to see him keep learning the scheme, cut down the turnovers, stay healthy and prove he can help the Commodores compete with SEC heavyweights. It also wants to see him grow into the kind of leader the offense can trust.
Lea says that part is already happening. Curtis, still a teenager and not the type to command a room with sheer force of personality, says it depends on the setting.
“I feel like it depends,” Curtis said in regard to if it’s been an adjustment learning to lead. “Maybe in practice, but I feel like when game time rolls around I get more vocal and try to lead the guys. I think just being more comfortable with each guy on the team, and building a relationship with each person gives you confidence to be able to lead the team, for sure.”
That’s the real story here. Not just whether Vanderbilt can squeeze out a bowl berth, but whether Curtis keeps building into the quarterback the program thinks he can become.
Vanderbilt may believe he can make almost anything possible. Curtis isn’t saying that himself.
He is, though, making it clear he intends to keep pushing.
In Other News...
Jared Curtis Gives Vanderbilt A Reason To Believe On Offense
Jared Curtis had reason to smile after Vanderbilts 25-23 win over Mississippi State, a result that gave the freshman quarterback his first conference victory and offered a clearer glimpse of what the offense can become. Curtis pointed to the Commodores improved running game and cleaner execution in key moments, while Clark Lea said the young quarterback has grown into a more confident presence as the season has gone on.
Curtis has also become more vocal as he settles in, a meaningful development for a team still trying to establish consistency on that side of the ball. For Vanderbilt, the encouraging part is not just the win itself but the way Curtis is starting to connect his own comfort level with the offenses broader progress, leaving the Commodores with something tangible to build on as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Faces A Brutal SEC Test Against Alabama's Surging Offense
Alabamas win over LSU in Week 10 only sharpened the focus on what comes next for Vanderbilt, because the Crimson Tide arrive in Nashville looking every bit like a team that has found its rhythm on offense. The matchup is a difficult one on paper for the Commodores, who have already had a rough go of it in SEC play and now draw a ranked opponent with real momentum.
Keelon Russell has been a big part of that surge for Alabama, giving the Tide a steady presence at quarterback as they keep stacking wins. For Vanderbilt, the challenge is less about style points and more about finding a way to make the game competitive against a team that has already shown it can handle high-level competition and punish mistakes. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Faces Its First Real Test In A Heated Memphis Showdown
Vanderbilts early-season momentum gets a more serious measuring stick Wednesday night when Memphis comes to Nashville to close out the home-and-home series in an in-state rivalry game. Both teams are 2-0, so this one arrives with a little more edge than a typical November matchup, and it gives the Commodores a chance to see where they stand against a familiar opponent with plenty of local bragging rights on the line.
The matchup also comes with a roster wrinkle for Vanderbilt, as guard Gabe Nesmith remains sidelined by a leg injury. That leaves the Commodores to keep sorting out their rotation while trying to protect an unbeaten start, and it adds another layer of difficulty against a Memphis team that has looked sharp out of the gate. The game is set for 6:15 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. [Read more 🡒]