Vanderbilt’s quarterback battle is down to the wire, and Clark Lea says the program should have its answer by Tuesday.
After a full fall camp that featured an open competition between freshman Jared Curtis and veteran Blaze Berlowitz, Lea made it clear Saturday night that the staff is done gathering information. The Commodores will take Sunday off, with Lea and his assistants away from the facility and recharging after camp, but the real work begins again Monday when they break down Saturday’s scrimmage and sort through the depth chart.
“I’m expecting to leave the office Monday night and at least know kind of where we’ll be depth chart wise when we hit the field on Wednesday,” Lea said Saturday night at the podium. “I expect that in my time with the team Tuesday we will have communicated roles with players.”
That points to a private announcement in Vanderbilt’s team room on Tuesday, even if Lea still isn’t publicly saying which way he’s leaning. Based on the way practice reps have been handled, Curtis looks like the favorite, but the competition hasn’t produced a clean separation.
Through 15 days of camp, both quarterbacks have had every chance to take control. Neither one has locked it down.
Lea said at SEC Media Days that he’s open to playing both, but he’d prefer one steady starter if possible. His priorities are clear: ball security first, then the strength of the operation and playmaking ability.
Above all, he wants the choice that gives Vanderbilt the best shot to beat Austin Peay on September 5.
The two candidates offer very different paths. Curtis brings the bigger ceiling - the freshman can make every throw and has the kind of explosiveness that changes what the offense can become.
But he also brings the usual freshman mistakes. Berlowitz is the steadier short-yardage option and a more experienced operator right now, though he doesn’t provide nearly the same big-play juice and still has turnover issues of his own.
Saturday’s scrimmage seemed to reinforce that split. Berlowitz’ offense moved the ball more consistently, while Curtis flashed more striking throws, made fewer bad ones and finished with more scoring drives, even if some of those came with the help of heavy run action. Curtis also made better use of his legs.
“You're kind of watching [Curtis] operate the offense tonight,” Lea said. “It felt like he was at his best for the longest.
And Blaze, I think Blaze has had an excellent training camp. He's day in and day out been really consistent, and he does some things tactically with the offensive scheme around him that gives us a chance.”
Lea also said he sees Curtis continuing to grow, while Berlowitz keeps leaning into what he does best. When Lea talks about the film, he keeps coming back to the time Curtis will need to develop. He didn’t offer the same kind of comment about Berlowitz.
The final call is coming fast now. By the time Vanderbilt gets back on the field Wednesday, the staff expects to know where the quarterback room stands. And by Tuesday, everyone in the building should know who’s leading it.
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