Jared Curtis reportedly took a pay cut to join Georgia, months after backing off his original pledge

Jared Curtis is the No. 1 quarterback in the 2026 class (according to 247Sports). On Tuesday, On3's Pete Nakos reported that Curtis committed to the Georgia Bulldogs, the team he originally pledged to before backing out.

"Georgia wins out in the end for Jared Curtis, who stays closer to home. He also took the less lucrative Year 1 NIL package," Nakos tweeted.

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Curtis' commitment is a massive win for the Bulldogs. The program suffered a huge setback this offseason as Carson Beck left to head to the Miami Hurricanes (after backing out of the 2025 NFL draft). Beck's replacement, Gunnar Stockton, is inexperienced, making his first start in the Bulldogs' College Football Playoff defeat to Notre Dame.

This is also a deal that will help Georgia financially. Curtis NIL valuation is $2.6 million, according to On3.

The deal that he is getting with the Bulldogs is estimated to be less than $1 million. This is not only a lot less than his projected value, but lower than the potential deal he would have gotten if he signed with the Oregon Ducks, the other program that he was heavily linked to.

Jared Curtis on his recruitment by the Georgia Bulldogs

After officially committing to Georgia, Jared Curtis spoke about the relationship he has with the team, particularly with Bulldogs offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.

"The biggest thing is the relationship with Coach Bobo and what they do with quarterbacks," Curtis said on Sunday, via On3. "Coach Bobo has a long history, and he’s done great as an offensive coordinator and I’m looking forward to getting back up there. 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.”

The former Colorado State coach played an instrumental role in bringing the quarterback to Athens, where he has a chance to become the next great quarterback under Kirby Smart.

Curtis is playing high school football for Nashville Christian School in Tennessee, and recently led his school to a state championship — its first in nine years — and was awarded the Mr. Football award for his contributions. The previous season, he was the runner-up for the award, with his team losing the state championship game.

About the author

Ben Tredinnick is a journalist who covers college football and college basketball at Sportskeeda who is currently studying for a masters in Data Science. His degree in Psychology has helped him gain an in-depth understanding of the minds of coaches.

Ben has been involved in sports writing since 2022 and covered the NFL previously. His strengths include providing in-depth profiles of athletes and coaches, with a particular focus on development, and looking at which teams could be in the hunt for today's college stars.

Ben enjoys following college sports more than the NBA or NFL because there is more variation in terms of playstyles. The tournaments are often more competitive than the major leagues, and due to the constant turnover of players, there are rarely any "superteams" in college sports.

He prioritizes research, looks at multiple sources and publications to make sure he gets the full picture of the story before writing. He tries not to write from a one-sided perspective to allow the reader to be able to make their mind up on their own.

A Texas Longhorns fan, as well as a massive New York Giants fan, some of his favorite college players of all time are Arch Manning, Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys watching films (especially Godzilla) and spending time with his cat.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez