Georgia Bulldogs get their Future Quarterback, as Jared Curtis Commits.
Five-star quarterback Jared Curtis, the top-rated passer in the 2026 recruiting class, has announced that he is re-committing to the Georgia Bulldogs, ending a tight recruiting race with Oregon that multiple sources described to ESPN as going “down to the wire.”
Curtis, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound standout from Nashville Christian School in Tennessee, had initially pledged to Georgia in March 2024 before reopening his recruitment in October. Ranked No. 5 overall in the 2026 ESPN 300, Curtis was previously the highest-rated uncommitted quarterback in the class and the third-best uncommitted player overall.
After attracting heavy interest from elite programs across the Big Ten and SEC, Curtis trimmed his list to two finalists—Georgia and Oregon—and made official visits to both schools in March. In the final stretch of his recruitment, both Bulldogs offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and Oregon’s play-caller Will Stein visited him at home. According to sources, Curtis also had phone conversations with both coaching staffs on Sunday afternoon, just one day before making his decision public.
On the day of his commitment, insiders from both programs reportedly remained uncertain about which direction Curtis would go. Sources close to the recruitment told ESPN that Curtis’ camp had prepared two commitment videos—one for Georgia and one for Oregon—highlighting just how close the decision truly was. Ultimately, Curtis chose to return to the Bulldogs and made his announcement on social media.
Curtis originally spent nearly seven months committed to Georgia before deciding to step back from his pledge in the fall to thoroughly explore other options. “I knew I wanted to take other visits,” Curtis explained to ESPN at the time. Georgia stayed engaged with Curtis throughout the process, even as he entertained interest from a broad group of Power 4 schools, including Alabama, Auburn, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oregon, and South Carolina.
By late January, Curtis had outlined official visits to Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, and Oregon. On January 31, he made that visit schedule public, and by late February, he had narrowed the field to just Georgia and Oregon. From March 8 to 16, he visited both campuses on back-to-back trips but ultimately canceled follow-up visits scheduled for April.
Following those visits, Curtis’ father, Jesse, told ESPN that his son was “torn real bad” between the Bulldogs and Ducks. Throughout April and the final weekend before the announcement, both programs maintained consistent communication with the Curtis family. On Monday, exactly 200 days after withdrawing his original pledge, Curtis officially returned to Georgia’s 2026 class.
“We’ve been to Georgia so many times,” Jesse Curtis shared with ESPN. “We’ve got great relationships with those coaches. We just know them all so well. They’re a bunch of great people and we have a lot of comfort there.”
High School Achievements and Playing Style
The reigning Tennessee Gatorade Football Player of the Year, Curtis is widely viewed as a program-defining quarterback prospect. Known for his elite arm strength, accuracy, size, and mobility, his ability to make precise throws from the pocket, combined with his mobility and field vision, makes him a formidable presence on the field. Curtis has put up staggering numbers in high school. Over his first two seasons, he threw for 5,115 yards, 52 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. As a junior in 2024, he delivered 2,830 passing yards and 40 touchdowns with just three interceptions, while leading Nashville Christian to the Division II-A state championship. He also ran for 1,661 yards and tallied 38 rushing scores across his career.
With 7,637 passing yards and 130 total touchdowns across three varsity seasons, Curtis returns as the cornerstone of Georgia’s 2026 class. He becomes the fourth ESPN 300 recruit to commit to Kirby Smart’s program in the cycle, joining safety Zechariah Fort (No. 46) and wide receivers Brady Marchese (No. 62) and Vance Spafford (No. 97).
Impact on Georgia’s Program
Curtis’s commitment is a significant win for Georgia, especially after the program’s recent challenges in securing top quarterback recruits, notably losing five-star Dylan Raiola to Nebraska in the 2024 cycle. The Bulldogs rebounded by signing four-star Ryan Montgomery (No. 113 overall) and three-star Hezekiah Millender in 2025. With Curtis now back in the fold, Georgia secures its third-highest-rated quarterback commitment in ESPN’s recruiting database, trailing only Justin Fields (No. 1 in 2018) and Matthew Stafford (No. 5 in 2006). Curtis’s presence is expected to attract more top-tier talent to the program, enhancing Georgia’s competitiveness in the coming years.
Looking Ahead
With Curtis now off the board, Oregon is expected to shift its focus to four-star Ryder Lyons, the No. 50 overall player and No. 5 quarterback in the 2026 class. The Ducks have also maintained contact this spring with five-star Houston commit Keisean Henderson (No. 16 overall).
Curtis’ decision leaves four of the 18 ESPN-ranked quarterbacks in the 2026 cycle still uncommitted. That remaining group is led by Lyons and includes dual-threat Landon Duckworth (No. 105), four-star Oscar Rios (No. 193), and Bowe Bentley (No. 263).
While traditional powers like Georgia, Alabama, and Ohio State continue to dominate the recruiting landscape, elite recruiting is no longer the only path to building championship contenders. The transfer portal has become a game-changing resource, allowing programs to reload annually or bolster depth strategically. As the spring football season and transfer window close, it becomes even more crucial to evaluate roster additions holistically, considering both recruiting wins and portal gains.
Conclusion
Jared Curtis’s commitment to Georgia marks a pivotal moment for the Bulldogs’ football program. His impressive high school career, combined with his physical attributes and leadership qualities, positions him as a cornerstone for Georgia’s future. As the Bulldogs continue to build a formidable team, Curtis’s arrival in 2026 is anticipated to play a crucial role in their pursuit of national championships.