What Kirby Smart said about facing Vanderbilt QB Jared Curtis who flipped from Georgia

Ten months and one day after 5-star recruit Jared Curtis flipped his commitment from powerhouse Georgia football to Vanderbilt on signing day eve, the quarterback will walk into Sanford Stadium Saturday to start against the No. 2 Bulldogs.

Curtis was named the starter as a freshman after two games sharing time as a backup.

Staying home to play for Clark Lea was a huge recruiting victory for a Commodores team that had long been an SEC bottom-feeder, but went 10-3 last season with Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia.

Curtis first committed to Georgia in March 2024 as a high school sophomore, de-commited before committing again in May 2025 and then switched to Vanderbilt.

Curtis is the highest-rated signee in Commodore program history (No. 4 overall in the 247Sports Composite and the No. 2 QB).

"Tremendous talent," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said on Monday. "Way better athletically than people give him credit for. I don't know if anybody's tackled him, one person tackling him yet. He's strong, he's quick, powerful. He's got great arm talent. Everything that everybody thought has been true."

Comedian and Vanderbilt fan Nate Bargatze stumped for Curtis on ESPN’s College Gameday and gave the former Nashville Christian star a cameo in his movie The Breadwinner.

The perception may be that the clearer path to a starting job and big financial commitment is why Curtis picked Vanderbilt.

The Athletic, citing a source, reported the deal was “borderline Bryce Underwood-level,” comparing it to the four-year Michigan contract worth close to $10 million.

“I think sometimes we want to simplify things,” Lea said last week. “For sure he’s a local kid who is was paying attention to the trajectory of our program. I think he enjoyed watching Diego perform in the offense and kind of as he spent some time over here recognize that it was a system he could find success in. The more we got to spend time around each other, I think he felt a connection to kind of the environment here and the spirt of our program.”

Lea said Vanderbilt “is a different place. This is a chip-on-the-shoulder place. We talk about being a team of misfits. We’re counted out by everyone.”

Curtis said on his social media post when he flipped that he loved Georgia, the coaches and players but he felt a pull to what was happening at Vanderbilt close to home.

Picking Vanderbilt over Georgia, Lea said, “speaks to the DNA or the makeup of the person. He connected with what he came into contact here and that has nothing to do with Georgia or Oregon or anywhere else that he looked.”  

Lea said any competitor wants a chance to play.

The return of Gunner Stockton, a starting quarterback in two College Football Playoff games, would have meant Curtis would have had to wait until 2027 for a chance to start at Georgia.

“I’ve met him a couple of times,” Stockton said Saturday. “I think he’s a really good guy. I haven’t really seen any much film on him yet or watched their game but definitely will be able to.”

Curtis completed 20 of 34 passes for 277 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in a 35-31 win against N.C. State in his first start and went 22 of 33 for 199 yards with an interception in a 21-15 loss at Auburn. He has 4 touchdown passes and 3 interceptions during a season that started with him sharing time with Blaze Berlowitz.

Lea said Curtis against N.C. State “did a lot in his play creation and instinct to kind of will us back into that game.” The Commodores trailed 24-7 in the third quarter and won after recovering a fourth-down N.C. State fumble in the end zone for a touchdown in the final seconds,

The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder is a threat as a scrambler. He’s rushed for 110 yards on 30 carries in his two starts, has two rushing touchdowns on the seasons and leads the team with 41 total carries.

“Any time you’re playing a true freshman," Lea said, "it’s a lot to take on."

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: What Kirby Smart said about facing Vanderbilt QB Jared Curtis who flipped from Georgia