Elite 2026 QB recruit Jared Curtis was once a Georgia Bulldogs commit. But when he decided to take other visits, he de-committed out of fairness to the Bulldogs.
Georgia, along with several SEC rivals and two Big Ten powerhouses, make up his top six. Here, we break down the blue-chipper’s favorites.
Elite 2026 QB Jared Curtis Talks Top Six
Nashville Christian (TN) star Jared Curtis has heard from just about every major school so far in his recruitment. But the No. 2 quarterback in our 2026 QB rankings is looking to narrow his options and he announced a top six in an interview with On3’s Steve Wiltfong.
What’s appealing about each school? Here we’ll take a look at Curtis’ top six.
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks are a relatively new addition to Curtis’ lead group, as Dan Lanning and company were late to the party. But he’s impressed with what the Ducks have to offer.
“Me and Coach (Will) Stein’s relationship is really good,” Curtis told Wiltfong. “Him and Coach Lanning plan on coming to the house this next week. I’m excited to see them.”
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The Ducks might be a newer team to the fray, but Curtis seems to be listening to Lanning’s pitch.
Georgia Bulldogs
A one-time Georgia commit, Curtis de-committed not because he no longer liked the Bulldogs, but because he didn’t want to entertain other schools while committed.
Accordingly, he’s still close with the coaching staff, including offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.
Weirdly, the Bulldogs haven’t recruited a deep quarterback room and although a lot could change between now and August of 2026, when Curtis can first step on the field, there’s an opportunity to play early in Athens.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes might be closer to the top of Curtis’ list, mostly due to what they’ve been able to do on offense.
Curtis is impressed with the track record that head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly have with quarterbacks.
That, and it doesn’t hurt that Curtis would almost certainly have one of the top receiving corps in the country if he ended up in Columbus.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Curtis has long been high on the South Carolina Gamecocks, largely due to his relationship with former offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, one of his favorite college coaches. Loggains is now the head man of the Appalachian State Mountaineers, and he recently dispensed an offer to Curtis there.
The Mountaineers won’t factor into his recruitment, but that shows the groundwork Loggains laid. New OC Mike Shula made it a priority to visit Curtis at his high school, marking the first off-campus visit the former Alabama head coach has made in nearly two decades.
That meant something to Curtis, who feels like a priority in Columbia.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Speaking of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Kalen DeBoer’s staff is prioritizing Curtis. He’s familiar with what DeBoer and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan did with the Washington Huskies and he thinks that will carry over to the Crimson Tide.
We know Alabama can recruit, and so does Curtis, who pointed out the talent and consistent top-five recruiting classes in Tuscaloosa.
Auburn Tigers
The other SEC school in Alabama is late to the party, but the Auburn Tigers apparently made quite the impression.
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“Coach (Hugh) Freeze came in there and Coach Kent (Austin) has produced some quarterbacks himself,” Curtis told Wiltfong. “I feel like they didn’t have such a good year last year but they will in the next couple years for sure.”
It’s worth noting that the Tigers are the only team in Curtis’ list that won less than nine games last season, as Georgia, Oregon, and Ohio State made the College Football Playoff while South Carolina and Alabama just missed out.
Jared Curtis Scouting Report
Below is Curtis’ scouting report from our 2026 QB rankings.
A former Georgia Bulldogs commit, Jared Curtis backed off his pledge because he didn’t want to visit other schools while committed. That’s an indication of the maturity and leadership Curtis brings to his team.
I watched quite a bit of him in a strong, six-total touchdown performance in the TSSAA Championship Game. He’s not a burner in the running game, but he’s shown the ability to pick up tough yards.
He ran for over 600 yards as a junior, over 160 of which came in his final two games of the season, adding four touchdowns run in the championship game, showing physicality at the goal line.
His bread and butter is his movement in the pocket and touch. He’s as willing as any quarterback you’ll find to push the ball down the field, and he’s constantly going high to low in his progressions. He’s accurate to all fields, but he’s best at layering throws between levels of the defense.
His internal clock will need to speed up a bit after moving up to the SEC level. Still, we’ve seen recent TSSAA quarterbacks (like Marcel Reed) have early success at Power Four schools, so as long as he continues to develop, he could start early for a high-level program.
Curtis has no timeline for a decision, but when he commits for a second time, it’s likely that he shuts down the recruiting process. Stay tuned into College Football Network for the latest on the recruiting trail.
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