Why Clark Lea shrugs off pressure to start freshman QB Jared Curtis for Vanderbilt

TAMPA, FL — Does Vanderbilt footballhave to start five-star freshman quarterback Jared Curtis immediately, even if he’s not ready?

Coach Clark Lea chuckled at the suggestion.

“Well, no, because the mission is winning,” Lea said at SEC media days on July 21. “So this is about how we best position our program to win. We have to evaluate all possibilities and put the best person on the field that’s going to help us win.”

It’s a fair question because of the context of Curtis’ unique journey to Vanderbilt. The former Nashville Christian standout isn’t a typical freshman quarterback for the Commodores.

Curtis was ranked by 247Sports Composite as the No. 2 quarterback in the 2026 class. And it took some heavy hitters to flip him from Georgia.

Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia led the effort. Famous comedians Nate Bargatze and Theo Von did their part, including a cameo for Curtis in Bartgatze’s movie “The Breadwinner.”

And NIL deals certainly played a part in Vanderbilt landing the blue-chip prospect that every team in the country coveted. Curtis was one of eight college athletes that signed new Nike deals ahead of the 2026 season, and he hasn’t even taken a snap yet.

If Lea is feeling pressure to push Curtis into the lineup, he isn’t showing it.

“Certainly, we’re excited about Jared. We believe he has the physical tools and mental tools to be a great player in the SEC,” Lea said. “We wouldn’t have recruited him if we didn’t feel that way. We will make that evaluation through training camp and do what’s best for our team when we play Austin Peay (on Sept. 5).”

Could QBs Jared Curtis, Blaze Berlowitz both play for Vanderbilt?

Curtis’ stiffest competition is senior Blaze Berlowitz. Both have the unenviable task of following Pavia, the 2025 SEC Offensive Player of the Year who led Vanderbilt to a school-record 10 wins.

Berlowitz served as Pavia’s backup from their days at New Mexico State to Vanderbilt. He is a known quantity to offensive coordinator Tim Beck and senior offensive advisor Jerry Kill, who both coached him at New Mexico State.

Berlowitz hasn’t played much. In 2025, he appeared in six games, completing 9 of 17 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 63 yards. But he's knows the offense well.

Of course, Curtis has no college experience, and the SEC is a difficult place to work through growing pains. But the 6-foot-3, 230-pounder has tremendous physical gifts, including an NFL-caliber arm.

Lea beams with excitement when he talks about that skillset and Curtis’ long-term expectations. But that doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be QB1 on day one.

“It’s just the matter of orchestrating an offense,” Lea said. “It’s not just about him. It’s about the other 10 players on the field. And it’s not just about the throw and the catch. It’s about the (pass) protection, the heartbeat being slow in a big moment, communicating and organizing the offense.”

Lea wants to identify a surefire starter, but he’s open to the possibility of playing a second quarterback in specific situations.

“I’m not shut off to any possibility, but you have to have one person that you lean on in tough moments,” Lea said. “Certainly, you could see a world where two guys are taking snaps. But I don’t see that in a world where they’re sharing the quarterback position. I see that where we’re strategically using skillsets to bolster certain aspects of our offense.”

How Clark Lea earned trust to handle Jared Curtis decision

There’s a legitimate question whether Curtis gives Vanderbilt the best chance to win immediately. It’s a lot to ask of any freshman quarterback.

There’s a runway to help answer that question as Vanderbilt opens the season with nonconference home games against Austin Peay (Sept. 5), Delaware (Sept. 12) and NC State (Sept. 19). Its SEC opener is Sept. 26 at Auburn.

But the bigger question is whether Lea can afford to not start Curtis, arguably the best quarterback recruit in Vanderbilt history.

The unspoken factor is that Lea has earned coaching capital by racking up 17 wins over the past two seasons and overseeing a program transformation. In November, he got a six-year contract extension, and he has the full support of athletics director Candice Storey Lee and the Vanderbilt administration.

In short, Lea is trusted to do what he thinks gives Vanderbilt the best chance to win and, yes, get back into the College Football Playoff mix. That could mean starting Curtis immediately or bringing him along slowly.

Lea summed up his quarterback decision appropriately: “It’s whatever winning demands of us.”

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Clark Lea shrugs off pressure to start freshman QB Jared Curtis for Vanderbilt