Pete Thamel reported Friday that Vanderbilt freshman quarterback Jared Curtis will try to play against Georgia, with the final call coming after a pregame evaluation on Saturday.
Curtis has been limited in practice all week, but Thamel said he got through Friday’s walk-through without any issues. That leaves his Week 5 status up in the air for now, even though the signs are at least pointing in a positive direction.
Sources: Vanderbilt true freshman quarterback Jared Curtis will attempt to play on Saturday, with a final decision to come after he's evaluated pre-game at Georgia tomorrow. Curtis has been limited all week in practice but made it through Friday walk-through without issue. pic.twitter.com/QevrZ9j2Wp
- Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 2, 2026
Curtis took over as Vanderbilt’s starter in Week 3 and has played in four games this season, including the last two as the full-time guy. He’s thrown for 746 yards with 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
The matchup comes after Vanderbilt’s SEC opener ended in a 21-15 loss to Auburn. Curtis finished that game 22-of-33 for 199 yards and one interception, and he was sacked four times. That kind of pressure could be a problem again against a Georgia defense that is looking like it is once again one of the best in the country.
There’s also a little extra storyline here. Before committing to Vanderbilt, Curtis had been committed to Kirby Smart and Georgia. He ended up giving Clark Lea and the Commodores a major boost, especially after Vanderbilt came off one of the best seasons in school history.
In Other News...
Jared Curtis Returns To Georgia With One Huge Vandy Decision Under Pressure
Jared Curtis choice to commit to Vanderbilt over Georgia was always going to come with a different kind of spotlight. Instead of signing up to sit behind a roster stocked with national title talent, he picked the path that offered a chance to be a centerpiece early in his college career, and that decision has already shaped how Commodore fans view his arrival.
Now he is heading back to Georgia with an injury adding uncertainty to an already meaningful moment. Vanderbilt expected him to be a significant part of what comes next, and the timing of this trip only heightens the stakes for a player whose biggest decision was about opportunity, not convenience. How much he can actually give against the Bulldogs is still the question hanging over the week. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Tanner Just Added To Vanderbilts Rising 2026-27 Hype
Tyler Tanners return to Vanderbilt already gave the Commodores a major lift, and the preseason attention keeps building around one of the SECs most watched guards. Basket Under Review has tabbed Tanner as the leagues Preseason Player of the Year and a First-Team All-SEC selection for 2026-27, a nod that reflects both his production and the profile he brings back to Nashville after weighing the NBA Draft before deciding to stay.
Tanner was one of Vanderbilts most complete players last season, averaging 19.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game, and coach Mark Byington has pointed to Tanners character as a big reason the program feels good about what comes next. The buzz is understandable, but it also raises the question the Commodores will have to answer soon enough: how much bigger can Tanners game get now that the spotlight is turning his way even before the season begins? [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilts New Standard Faces Its First Real Test
Coming off its first-ever 10-win season, Vanderbilt has moved from hopeful upstart to a program with real expectations, and the next step comes quickly. The Commodores are aiming not just to build on last years breakthrough but to keep pushing toward the kind of standard that would put them in position to chase something even bigger.
No. 2 Georgia offers the first true measuring stick for that ambition. The Bulldogs have recent national titles and the sort of depth and dominance Vanderbilt is trying to emulate, which is why this matchup feels like more than just another SEC game. Even with the underdog label hanging over them, Vanderbilts players and coaches have kept the focus on internal goals, treating the trip as a benchmark for where the program stands now and where it still wants to go. [Read more 🡒]