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eli lederman
five star quarterback jared curtisESPN’s No. 1 pocket passer prospect has reneged on his commitment Georgia To VanderbiltThey made the announcement Tuesday night, sealing a seismic move atop the 2026 class less than 24 hours before the early signing period began.
Curtis, a senior at Nashville (Tennessee) Christian School No. 5 recruit in 2026 ESPN 300Multiple sources told ESPN earlier Tuesday that Curtis intended to commit to the hometown Commodores during this week’s early signing period before ending his high school career at the Division II-A state championship on Thursday night,
Curtis initially dismissed reports that he had made a final decision on Tuesday afternoon. According to sources close to his recruitment, he finalized the move Tuesday night and announced his commitment to Vanderbilt after a phone call with each of the coaching staff. He will sign with the Commodores on Wednesday morning as the highest-ranked signee in program history.
“Being here in Nashville and seeing what Wendy is doing this season has been amazing and over the last few weeks, I’ve felt more and more that I want to be a part of it, stay close to home, play in front of family and friends and be who I love to be,” said Curtis. Wrote in a statement posted on social media“I’m excited to be [Commodore] And excited to be a part of building something at home with Coach [Clark] “Leah.”
Curtis’ reversal ends a whirlwind recruitment for ESPN’s No. 2 quarterback, who first committed to Georgia in 2024. According to ESPN sources, Vanderbilt stepped up its pursuit of Curtis in October, trading the 6-foot-4, 225-pound quarterback for the chance to stay at home and the lure of early playing time as a potential successor to a Heisman Trophy contender. diego pavia,
The push continued into November after the Commodores hosted Curtis during the program’s 17–10 win over Missouri on October 25. Although Curtis confirmed his commitment to Georgia’s coaching staff several times over the past month, sources told ESPN, talks between Curtis’ camp and Vanderbilt continued into the final weeks of his senior season.
Commodore Coach Lee’s potential candidacy for several job openings across the country has remained a significant issue among Curtis’ camp in recent weeks, according to sources close to Curtis’s recruitment. After Lee agreed Six-year contract extension reported On November 28, sources told ESPN that Vanderbilt’s efforts with Curtis intensified, culminating in his reversal on Tuesday.
Curtis’ pledge marks the latest victory for the Commodores amid a historic season in which Vanderbilt achieved its highest AP Top 25 ranking since 1937 earlier this fall. He now stands as a cornerstone member of the program’s 19-man recruiting class in 2026, which was ranked 50th in ESPN’s class rankings for the cycle prior to his commitment.
Curtis’ signing will give Vanderbilt its first ESPN 300 cornerback addition martel height (No. 274) in the class of 2023. The program’s first five-star signee, he will soon replace wide receiver Jordan Cunningham (No. 107 in the 2013 ESPN 300) as the Commodores’ highest-ranked recruit in school history. Curtis would also represent Vanderbilt’s first top-10 quarterback signee since Kyle Schumer arrived as ESPN’s No. 7 pocket passer in the 2015 class.
As a four-year starter at Nashville Christian, Curtis emerged as one of the nation’s top pocket passers. He threw for 7,637 yards and 92 touchdowns in his first three varsity seasons and led the school to a Division II-A state championship as a junior in 2024.
Curtis initially committed to Georgia in March 2024 and then restarted his process late last fall. He rejoined the Bulldogs’ incoming class on May 5. Picking Georgia over Oregon in a tough two-school recruiting battle.And Curtis remained the program’s top-ranked 2026 pledge as of Tuesday, maintaining frequent contact with the school’s coaching staff this fall.
His retirement leaves Georgia without a quarterback commitment in the nation’s second-ranked recruiting class. first year bulldog starter gunner stockton There is one more season of eligibility after 2025. Behind him, Georgia’s current quarterback depth includes redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi and class of 2025 signers Ryan Montgomery And hezekiah millenderIt wasn’t immediately clear whether the Bulldogs would pursue another quarterback in the 2026 class,
Wednesday marked the beginning of a three-day early signing period for the 2026 class. The recruiting cycle will officially kick off with National Signing Day on February 4.
