By Matthew Weatherby
Today (Tuesday, December 2nd), Hayes Fawcett put out a tweet announcing that 5-star quarterback, and current/former, Georgia commit, Jared Curtis, was flipping his commitment to Vanderbilt. The only problem was that Curtis soon tweeted from his own account, “don’t know where all this is coming from. Haven’t had a chance to talk to either school yet. I’ll keep y’all posted.”
So, while not officially a done deal after some conversations, I do feel confident that Curtis will eventually end up at Vandy. This seems like something that Curtis had decided on, but had not made the necessary phone calls in order for it to go public. Rivals has, however, milked this Curtis story for all it is worth and seemed all too eager to jump the gun on the story.
Regardless I’m going to approach this as if Curtis has officially flipped and what it means for both programs
Curtis and Georgia
I am going to preface everything I am about to say with the fact that Jared Curtis earned every bit of hype and accolades he has received throughout this process. But Georgia will be fine, potentially even better off. Curtis had shown a desire to play early, which he would not be afforded at Georgia. Gunner Stockton has had a great year, but not one that has gotten the attention of NFL scouts necessarily. All signs point to him returning to UGA next year, barring a seismic shift in the way NFL organizations view him heading into the draft.
Well, Georgia has to have someone after Gunner, right?
Their quarterback room is full right now, with Ryan Puglisi and Ryan Montgomery backing up Stockton. Both of whom are former highly touted prospects themselves. Then, Georgia has the number one recruit in the class of 2028 in IMG quarterback Jayden Wade. Wade is a guy who could always potentially reclassify if Georgia feels that they have a gap at quarterback in 2027. Or Kirby can always take the portal route for a one-year rental at the position.
The point is, Georgia will be fine. This isn’t the first time this has happened to Georgia. Dylan Raiola spurned Georgia a couple of years ago, and now he’s looking at a potential transfer out of Nebraska. Georgia fans enjoy it while you have it, you just lost the number one quarterback in the country (supposedly), and I didn’t have one ounce of concern for the Bulldogs future.
Vandy and Curtis
This is supposed to be a moment that shakes the SEC. Quite frankly, I just don’t see it that way. Vandy has had a very good season, and they have put together some good classes relative to what the expectations were when Clark Lea got there. But, football is played with 22 guys, 11 on offense and 11 on defense. While it is a signal of what Clark Lea can do, I need to see proof of winning outside of a single season.
Curtis is a fantastic quarterback and will probably be very good at Vandy. I just do not know if this is going to be a move that will keep Vandy on the map. Some of the SEC’s top programs had down years the last time Vandy had a season similar to this under James Franklin. The same is true now. Auburn, LSU, and Florida just made new hires that have them trending up, and it feels like the version of Tennessee we got this year is more of a one-off result based on what Josh Heupel has done there.
When those places rise back to expectations, will Curtis be enough to save you? My best guess is no.
Final thoughts
It feels pretty cut and dry as the little guy landing this big blow against the larger powers at be. Which, on the surface level, is true. But, somehow, Kirby Smart has typically ended up on the right side of history when it comes to these situations, with the Justin Fields exception. For Vandy, I need to see more. I need to see a program built on substance, not just through the portal, that takes time, and this is a step in the right direction. But, as change continues to flow through college football, do they have staying power?
