The 2026 recruiting class faced a major shake-up two weeks ago when five-star quarterback Jared Curtis, ranked as the No. 3 player in the cycle, decommitted from the Georgia Bulldogs.
Curtis had been committed to Georgia since March, but that didn’t stop other teams from looking to aggressively pursue the 6’4’’, 225-pound quarterback, who is playing his junior season at Nashville Christian School in Tennessee.
Now with his recruitment fully opened up, what are the next steps for Curtis as he looks to find his next home?
While there were a number of frontrunners back in March before Curtis committed to Georgia, it seems like the five-star will consider a number of schools, with the Ohio State Buckeyes leading the charge, as they were close back during the initial race for the quarterback.
Curtis will be at Ohio State later next month for a visit, but is expected to see a number of schools before making his decision.
The Auburn Tigers are in the mix, getting a visit this weekend, while the Oregon Ducks will earn a trip next weekend. Following that, Georgia remains a part of the conversation, getting a visit before Ohio State gets a trip on November 23rd for the Indiana Hoosiers game.
Two other teams that will likely be in the mix are the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Alabama Crimson Tide, with the latter getting a visit from Curtis on November 30th for their game against the Auburn Tigers.
So, there are a number of major suitors here for the top quarterback in the junior class, which could delay the process more as Curtis evaluates all of his options.
Back near his commitment, Curtis had told On3’s Hayes Fawcett that Oregon was the leader in the clubhouse, which prompted the trip out to Eugene on November 9th.
Oregon’s position in this race is certainly intriguing, as they currently have a commitment from four-star quarterback Jonas Williams, a top-10 player at the position in the class.
This could be a wide-open race, however, as none of his other top suitors have a quarterback commit in the class yet, setting up for a competitive race for the five-star.
With all the buzz surrounding Curtis’s recruitment, let’s break down the skills he could bring at the next level.
A two-year starter at Nashville Christian, Curtis started as a sophomore, throwing for 2,522 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions, while completing 56.1 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 543 yards and 13 touchdowns, showing some of his dual-threat ability.
Fast-forward to this year and Curtis threw for 2,116 yards, 26 touchdowns and three interceptions, averaging 15.9 yards per attempt and completing 70.7 percent of his passes thus far. He’s also rushed for 411 yards and 12 touchdowns on 8.7 yards per carry.
Curtis is one of the lone top 2026 quarterbacks who remain uncommitted at this stage, along with five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons, whom many project will land at his home-state school, the USC Trojans.
Who will ultimately land Curtis here in the 2026 class? Only time will tell.
