NASHVILLE-Jared Curtis has spent his first six college games looking like two different quarterbacks.
At times, he’s the kind of talent that makes a staff lean in harder. He can squeeze throws into spaces most quarterbacks never even see, deliver a strike while moving, power through contact for extra yards, and even turn a broken play into points. But the other version shows up too often: the freshman who has already thrown seven interceptions against six touchdowns, the one who let Arkansas hang around and then close out an upset at FirstBank Stadium with an ill-advised flip late in the game.
Vanderbilt has never pretended this would be smooth. Clark Lea made that clear from the start, and the program’s choices backed him up.
Blaze Berlowitz opened the season at quarterback, not Curtis. Curtis stayed out of sight for most of the media access until Tuesday, when he spoke publicly for the first time since April.
That reluctance said plenty. So did the way Lea has talked about him.
The message has been consistent: Curtis was not going to be measured against Diego Pavia right away, and sheer talent would not erase the learning curve. Lea has said Curtis still had to slow the game down, and for a stretch, that process has looked bumpy.
Curtis, though, says he can feel it changing.
“It’s just getting a hold of the offense, getting everything down,” Curtis said in regard to the game slowing down. “Obviously formations, plays, reads throughout the game I'd say slow down a little bit. You still got to go out there and you got to prepare, you got to prepare each week.”
That wasn’t the sound of a quarterback hiding from the moment. He spoke like someone who believes the picture is getting clearer.
Lea sounded more convinced by that idea this week than he has at any point since Curtis committed in December. He also praised Curtis as a communicator, and on Tuesday the quarterback carried himself the same way.
The tone around him has shifted, too. Vanderbilt’s messages this week suggest the staff believes the rough edges are starting to smooth out.
“What I see right now in our program is older players, veteran players giving him the space to become a leader,” Lea said. “He is learning and growing a lot. I think in some ways, he’s right on the progression line of where he needs to be.”
The coach also said Thursday that he thinks the offense is beginning to take shape around Curtis. That’s a more confident stance than he’s taken before, and it lines up with the way Vanderbilt has handled the young quarterback recently.
Still, the next step has to come on the field. Curtis has shown flashes that look far beyond his age, but he has also shown the mistakes that come with being a freshman trying to carry too much. Lea said Curtis has a tendency to force things when he feels he has to be a superhero, and the Arkansas game offered the clearest evidence of that.
There’s context around him, and plenty of it. The offensive line needs to be much better.
The running game hasn’t given him enough help. The playcalling has left something to be desired at times.
Curtis took the blame himself on Tuesday, but the broader picture makes clear this hasn’t been all on him.
Even so, Vanderbilt’s internal read is encouraging. Lea said he sees a quarterback with confidence that helps build connection around him, and he added: “Now you have this player who has parts of Diego’s competitive personality, parts of that big-game moment ability-Jared does."
The question now is whether that version shows up more often. Vanderbilt clearly thinks it might.
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Kentucky Coach Is Fueling Jared Curtis Buzz Before A Huge Vandy Test
Jared Curtis is headed into another big SEC test with Vanderbilt, and Kentuckys new head coach is only adding to the attention. Will Stein, who once pursued Curtis hard while coaching at Oregon, knows the quarterback well enough to have a strong read on why so many people have been intrigued by him. Curtis has started six games for the Commodores, and the matchup with Kentucky gives him another chance to show how far he has come in a league where every week seems to bring a fresh measuring stick.
Steins praise has been especially notable because it comes from a coach who saw Curtis up close before he ever arrived in Nashville. Curtis has already flashed the physical traits and upside that made him such a sought-after recruit, and now he gets another opportunity to translate that promise into results against an SEC opponent. For Vanderbilt, the timing matters too, with Curtis still searching for his first conference win as the Commodores get ready for Kentucky. [Read more 🡒]
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For Vanderbilt, that means an early chance to see how Miami handles a roster that figures to be spread around and used in a way that looks a lot like a real November game. It also means the Commodores are getting a test that could tell them plenty about where they stand right away, even before the results start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Sebastian Williams-Adams Gets A Personal Test In Vanderbilt Debut
Sebastian Williams-Adams is about to get a familiar sort of introduction in his Vanderbilt debut, one that comes with far more personal weight than a typical exhibition opener. The sophomore transfer from Auburn is expected to see his first game action for the Commodores against Miami, a matchup that offers an early look at how he fits under Mark Byington as Vanderbilt tries to expand his offensive options.
The game also brings Williams-Adams back into a basketball circle that has shaped him for years. Miami coach Jai Lucas and longtime friend Shelton Henderson have both known him since childhood, adding another layer to a night already tied closely to his development, and mentor John Lucas II is expected to be in the crowd as well. For Williams-Adams, it is less about shaking off debut nerves than taking on a personal test in front of people who have been part of the journey from the start. [Read more 🡒]