Why Vanderbilt Fans Need to Pump the Breaks on the Jared Curtis Hype

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Diehard fans know the words Vanderbilt and football have never really been associated with each other. Diehards also watched, along with the rest of the country, as Diego Pavia flipped that story on its head last season. The 5 '10 (on a good day) QB from Albuquerque, New Mexico, whose path took him from JUCO to the heart of the SEC, led the Commodore's to one of their best seasons in recent memory while completely uprooting the traditional "underdog" narrative.

Pavia and the rest of the team embodied more of a villain mentality, saying to the rest of the SEC that you don't have to like them, but it's time you respect them. Offensive weapons like Junior Sherrill and Eli Stowers helped Pavia take the Commodores to the next level, but after just two short years, Pavia has now left Vandy to pursue a path in the NFL. This leads to the next generation, and the number one QB recruit in the entire country, Jared Curtis.

For anyone who doesn't know, the guy's legit. Curtis led Nashville Christian to the Tennessee state championship, while being named a Max Preps All-American, and passing for 9,738 yards, 128 touchdowns, and only 25 interceptions, plus 48 rushing touchdowns, over his high school career. He's proven that he can not only win, but he can do it while being the main focal point of an offense through both the air and the ground. Curtis shook the country when he flipped his commitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt, and his ability to stretch the field with deep passes and keep a level head while facing 5 or 6 man blitzes has many fans believing he will bring immediate success to Vandy this fall.

But while the talent is there, other aspects of the transition from Pavia to Curtis will likely limit the chances of the Commodores' immediate success. One of the most important aspects of a college football team is their leadership and identity, and the inevitable culture shift at Vanderbilt as a new QB1 takes command will likely bring some turbulence before success, as Curtis takes over the job from returning senior and initial starter Blaze Berlowitz.

Last season, Diego Pavia was so much more than just a star quarterback for the Commodores. He was the definition of an underrated player, who lived with a chip on his shoulder and a goal to prove the doubters wrong. At times, he was quite vocal, some even deeming him over-the-top, but to Vanderbilt fans, it had to feel kind of good to be the bad guy.

With Curtis however, the Vanderbilt aura has shifted. They are no longer an underdog program lurking in the dark SEC opponents are surprised by. They've gained NIL funding, started stadium improvements, and have fully come out of hiding. My message to the Vanderbilt faithful is simple: don't count your chickens before they hatch. (I tried to come up with a Nashville-themed analogy like "Don't listen to the guitar before it plays" but it didn't roll off the tongue).

"It's important to be patient with the process. I try to keep that in the back of my mind every single day", Curtis told reporters at a recent press conference.

Athletes of any sport would agree it's generally easier to play well when there's no expectations or pressure. The fact that no one thought Vanderbilt would win big SEC games let them play loose and free. Pavia's playstyle worked with this perfectly, as he ran around, improvised plays, and launched deep throws like it was backyard football. Now the expectations have grown, and with them the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the new freshman quarterback. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as Curtis proved in high school that he can win in big moments, but it's something to keep an eye on.

If we zoom out, and look at the change in culture the Vanderbilt football program as a whole is about to undergo, it seems likely that regression will come before the wins. Even as expectations rose, Vanderbilt would embody the underdog persona if Pavia was still at the helm. But now the team will be led by a prototypical 6 '4 quarterback who has won his whole life, and that every team in the nation wanted. That means that the bad-boy look of the team, and the veteran presence of Pavia and other stars like NFL-bound Eli Stowers, is gone. What's left is a team with clashing mentalities, although Lea isn't exactly looking for the next Pavia.

"I don't actually believe that any player needs to perform the way that Diego performed," Lea told reporters after Vanderbilt's spring game.

I believe in the long run, this culture shift is exactly what Vanderbilt needs if they hope to gain long-term legitimacy and a place at the adult table for good. Teams like Alabama and Georgia come into every Saturday like a fiery sports-car, knowing all eyes are on them because they've proven their worth. If that 'aura', for lack of a better word, is what Vandy hopes to have, then a stereotypical star quarterback is a good start.

But the change is going to take time. There are going to be arguments among teammates as mentalities clash, and likely some uncertainty as to who is going to step up and lead when a game's going sideways. Give the team and Curtis a year, and I'm certain they will be a well-oiled machine. In future years they may end up being even better than they were last season, with an effortless confidence of a SEC powerhouse.

But for now, all I ask is that Vanderbilt fans pump the breaks. Don't freak out when inevitable mistakes and growing pains happen. Don't add more pressure to your young QB's shoulders than is already there, and I believe soon the Vanderbilt squad won't just be trying to prove themselves, but walking onto the field at FirstBank stadium looking like a national championship contender.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/vanderbilt as Why Vanderbilt Fans Need to Pump the Breaks on the Jared Curtis Hype.

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