Does 5-star Jared Curtis still sign with Georgia football? What we know

This is a good week for a few behind-the-scenes stories on five-star Jared Curtis, the nation’s No. 1 quarterback prospect currently committed to Georgia.

There’s one about an unselfish play on what looked like another touchdown, where Curtis showed how much he loves his teammates. Curtis has been a part of 173 career touchdowns and is drawing close to some Tennessee all-time state records. However, his in-game sideline chats often involve how he can get his teammates in on the highlight reel, too.

That’s not what Georgia fans want to read right now. They want to know if the weekend buzz that the five-star might flip to Vanderbilt has merit.

Is it now not a matter of if, but when he flips?

It is worth noting that Curtis still shared pro-Georgia recruiting posts on his Instagram story on Sunday night. His mother has also been subtly dropping red and black hearts in her social media posts lately.

Curtis will not sign on the first day of the early signing period on Dec. 3. He will travel to Chattanooga to play for a repeat state title with his Nashville Christian team. That game will be on Dec. 4, so he won’t publicly sign with anyone that day either.

All indications point to him signing with the school of his choice that Friday.

When 247Sports national analyst Tom Loy wrote this weekend that he felt Vanderbilt would eventually flip Curtis. Here are my current thoughts:

Anything can happen while covering impressionable 17-to 19-year-old recruits. Even if Curtis’ infant nephew was wearing a Georgia onesie at the Texas game.
To the best of my knowledge, Vanderbilt has never hosted Curtis and his family on a recruiting visit, which would make it stunning to see him flip away from a school he’s already committed to twice.
I don’t know why Team Curtis doesn’t make a statement to make this story a non-starter if his clear intent is to sign with Georgia. But that may also be a matter of he’s already said he was 100% committed after a recent game visit to Vandy when ESPN’s “College Gameday” was in town.
He is trying to lead his team to another state title. Does he need to recommit to UGA after every report like he’s the red lamp at the doughnut shop?
This back-and-forth with Curtis seems to be wearing on the Georgia fan base. This should be a signing worth multiple fist pumps, but fans are starting to talk themselves out of how eager they are to see him in red and black. They don’t want another 11th-hour Dylan Raiola flip, even though these two recruitments are not the same.
If Curtis flips to Vanderbilt, it will not be about money. It will be about the opportunity to play right away.

If he wanted more NIL money, he’d be committed to Oregon or South Carolina. Georgia didn’t have the highest bid. It offered the best combinations of relationships, NFL development, plus a strong NIL package.

Curtis has shared in the past what he’s looking for.

Stability (Georgia has that at head coach and offensive coordinator)
The chance to win championships (SEC and College Football Playoff)
Winning the Heisman Trophy
To go No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft

Vanderbilt has had nine first-round picks, including just four since 1960. Georgia has had eight first-rounders since Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have been dating.

The Commodores had one No. 1 overall NFL pick (a QB) in 1952. They have zero Heisman winners and national championships. The program is trying to pull an Auburn and make a case to claim titles for 1921 and 1922.

The Vanderbilt staff is a capable bunch, but its roster is nowhere close to the one in Athens, especially after the Commodores graduate a legion of seniors from this year’s team.

The program is seeking its first 10-win season in history. Kirby Smart has had only two seasons in his 10 years when his Bulldogs didn’t win at least 11 games. That was his first team and the COVID-shortened slate in 2020.

Georgia has not one, but two members of its staff who signed the No. 1 QB prospect and developed them into the NFL’s No. 1 pick. That’s what Mike Bobo did with Matthew Stafford a generation ago and what former Clemson assistant Brandon Streeter did with Trevor Lawrence in 2018.

As a true freshman next fall at Georgia, Curtis will likely watch Georgia’s Gunner Stockton in his final season. Stockton has played at an optimal level this fall, but that was still the plan when Curtis recommitted to UGA in May.

Curtis can redshirt next fall and battle it out at Georgia to start in 2027. If he won the job, he’d still be closer to playing for championships and a Heisman than in his second year starting for Vanderbilt.

Will he flip? My read is that none of that will happen unless Clark Lea gets an extension and the Curtis family takes an official visit to Vanderbilt.

The dead period begins on Dec.1. A school can’t host a prospect on campus after that date. That’s not likely.

The feeling here is that Curtis has been, is and will remain a Bulldog.

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