Vanderbilt football secured one of the biggest recruiting wins in program history Tuesday evening when Nashville Christian School Elite quarterback Jared Curtis officially flipped his commitment from Georgia.
The announcement came after Curtis publicly denied that a decision had been made, concluding a whirlwind filled with mixed signals and mounting speculation. In his statement on X, formerly Twitter, Curtis explained how witnessing Vanderbilt’s rise changed the trajectory of his recruitment.
“Being here in Nashville and seeing what Vandy has been doing this season has been amazing and over the past few weeks, I felt more and more that I wanna be a part of that, to be close to home, to play in front of family and friends and to be what I love to be, an underdog,” he wrote. “I am excited to be a [Commo]dore and excited to be part of building something here at home with Coach [Clark] Lea.”
Curtis had been committed to Georgia for months and was widely expected to remain a cornerstone of the Bulldogs’ 2026 recruiting class. But behind the scenes, his interest in staying home grew rapidly as Vanderbilt head coach Lea continued reshaping the program into a legitimate SEC riser.
Still, Curtis made it clear that leaving Georgia was emotional and far from simple. Offering context on how deeply he respected the Bulldogs.
“I do love Georgia,” he wrote. “I love the coaches and players there. They have been so good to me and my family. I know they would do everything to help me be successful. They have been the best program in the country for a reason. The past year it's where I wanted to be and definitely where my parents have wanted me to go. That's part of what makes this so hard. You try to make everyone who has been good to you and don so much for you happy, and when you can't, it sucks. But I gotta walk my path that feels right in my heart, at the end of the day this has to be my decision.”
Curtis’ flip represents more than just a recruiting victory, it signals a possible turning point for Vanderbilt football. His decision followed national attention throughout the fall, and he was also compared by star field general Diego Pavia, linking aspects of Curtis’ game to Patrick Mahomes.
The Commodores have surged over the past two seasons, driven by improved culture shifts and standout quarterback play from Pavia. Curtis will now enter as the face of Vanderbilt’s 2026 class, officially signing on Wednesday morning.
