As college football teams engage in spring practices and roster clarity develops ahead of summer and fall camps for the upcoming 2025 season, there's a lot of preparation for future seasons taking place.
The 2026 recruiting landscape is beginning to take shape and one massive high school prospect is officially off the board. Per ESPN's Eli Lederman, the No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2026, Jared Curtis, officially committed to the Georgia Bulldogs on Monday. He decided to join head coach Kirby Smart in Athens over Dan Lanning and Oregon, his reported top two teams.
Breaking: Five-star recruit Jared Curtis, the No. 1 QB in the 2026 class, has committed to Georgia over Oregon.
— Eli Lederman (@ByEliLederman) May 5, 2025
Curtis, No. 5 in the ESPN 300, returns to the Bulldogs after pulling his pledge last fall. He'll be Kirby Smart's highest-ranked QB signee since Justin Fields in 2018. pic.twitter.com/DB9Vuv0lL8
Curtis is the highest-rated QB signee Smart has snagged since Justin Fields in 2018. Though, as many fans remember, Fields wound up playing two seasons for the Ohio State Buckeyes after a single year in Athens.
Jared Curtis' commitment could alter Georgia's future for the better
Before Curtis' commitment, Georgia sat at No. 22 in the national recruiting rankings and was previously outside the Top 25 for the first time in 20 years, per 247 Sports. Now with Monday's announcement, the Bulldogs have jumped up to No. 17 and could officially be trending towards a long-term replacement for Carson Beck.
Curtis was described as a "refined and polished passer that matches a higher floor with a higher ceiling" by 247's Andrew Ivins. His 2024 stats for Nashville Christian School back that assesment up. Curtis completed 179 of 255 passes (70.2%) for 2,830 yards with 40 touchdowns and three picks. He also carried the ball 88 times for 637 yards (7.2 YPC) and 18 scores.
Junior passer Gunnar Stockton will have the reins to Smart's offense in 2025 but if he doesn't blow people away or head for the NFL after this upcoming season, his starting job could be in danger with Curtis arriving next year.
But that won't be a bad thing for Georgia fans. The program has been in need of a solid QB competition and Curtis could be the fresh prospect that either pushes Stockton to new heights or introduces the college football world to the next potential super star.