NIL
Why 5-Star Quarterback Recruit Jared Curtis Chose Georgia Bulldogs Over Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks received yet another blow in the recruiting world when Jared Curtis, the No.1 quarterback in the 2026 class, announced that he would be signing with Georgia. Curtis was originally committed to Georgia before reopening his commitment and taking official visits across the country. The Ducks became a major player in Curtis’ second […]
The Oregon Ducks received yet another blow in the recruiting world when Jared Curtis, the No.1 quarterback in the 2026 class, announced that he would be signing with Georgia. Curtis was originally committed to Georgia before reopening his commitment and taking official visits across the country. The Ducks became a major player in Curtis’ second go around as an uncommitted recruit.
Curtis has spoken with On3 about both schools, highlighting his relationship with Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and coach Kirby Smart.
“Georgia speaks for itself. I’ve built a relationship with Coach Bobo and Coach Smart. I think they’re a powerhouse and they have great coaches all around. They have the players up there and they’re very disciplined,” Curtis said to On3.
To say this is a blow to Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff would be putting it lightly. The Ducks hosted Curtis multiple times, with Curtis speaking highly of the program and Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein. Lanning and Stein had rolled out the red carpet for Curtis, even traveling to Tennessee to visit with the five-star quarterback.
After the news that quarterback prospect Jonas Williams flipped to USC, it seemed the Ducks were all in on Curtis, hoping to continue the strong lineage of quarterbacks at Oregon.
While Curtis is free to choose which school he thinks is best for him, the decision as a quarterback to play for Kirby Smart in Athens over Dan Lanning in Eugene is an interesting one. Lanning and Stein have had incredible success with quarterbacks in their short time with the Ducks, sending former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and former Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation in back-to-back years.
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Lanning has shown that he is perhaps more capable of developing quarterbacks than Smart. Nix was a first round draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and Gabriel was selected on the second day in the 2025 NFL Draft. In his time at Georgia, Smart has not necessarily had success developing quarterbacks into NFL caliber players. Former Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm has been on four NFL teams and was recently released by the Lions less than two weeks ago,
The Curtis commitment to Georgia will now have Oregon scrambling to find a quarterback in the class of 2026. While it is very possible that Dante Moore will return after this coming season, Lanning and his staff will want to make sure they have a plan in place if he doesn’t. Four-star quarterback Bowe Bentley could be an interesting option for the Ducks. The No. 7 quarterback in the 2026 class from Celina, Texas already has official visits set in place for LSU and Oklahoma, so the Ducks would need to move quickly.
Curtis’ decision puts into question the decision of the No.1 offensive tackle in the 2026 class, Jackson Cantwell. Cantwell has been active on social media regarding the Curtis decision in the past few weeks, reposting his stories about where the No.1 quarterback in the 2026 class will end up. It doesn’t seem out of the question that Cantwell was waiting to see where Curtis was going to commit to make his decision.