"I was like 50-50:" Jared Curtis reveals his struggle with his college decision, leading up to Georgia pick

Jared Curtis, the No. 1 quarterback in the Class of 2026 (as per On3) was one of the most sought-after players in the high school recruiting circuit. Curtis is also the No. 1 prospect in Tennessee and ranked No. 2 nationally. College football powerhouses Georgia Bulldogs and Oregon Ducks emerged as the top contenders, but the Bulldogs came out on top, securing his pledge on May 5.

Although he committed to Kirby Smart's program last year, he decommitted to explore his options, only to land back on the Bulldogs' roster.

On Tuesday, in an interview with DawgsHQ, Curtis opened up about his rceruitment process. He called it a "hard decision" juggling between Georgia and Oregon, and shared how the Bulldogs won him over. Before announcing his commitment, he visited both campuses.

“I still had a lot of deciding to do," Curtis said. "When I left Oregon, I thought I was 100% on Oregon. And then when I left Georgia, it kinda made it, I was like 50-50. I was 50-50 all the way till the day before, really, the day before committing day. So just getting to talk to other coaches, and yes, it was a hard decision for sure.”

Curtis also talked about Smart and Bulldogs offensive coordinator Mike Bobo's reaction when he decommitted last year.

"I called coach Bobo and coach Smart the morning I decommitted," Curtis said. "It was very hard to do. ... I just called them, and they took it light. They didn’t get mad or upset..... And coach Bobo made a promise to me that he was gonna coach me again."

After committing to the Bulldogs, Jared Curtis tried to recruit Jackson Cantwell and accompanied him on his visit to Athens, but was not successful. Cantwell gave his pledge to the Miami Hurricanes on Monday, May 13.

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"He's very laid back and funny:" Jared Curtis on Georgia coach Kirby Smart

Jared Curtis had high praise for Georgia's coaches, which was one of the reasons why the program was successful in securing his commitment. His relationship with them and the family atmosphere of the campus won him over. When asked about Kirby Smart's personality in a private setting, Curtis called him "a funny guy."

"You know, it’s just like, he’s just talking to a normal adult," Curtis said on Tuesday, via DawgsHQ. "He’s very laid back, and he’s really funny. But he’s definitely a really good guy, I like him

The Bulldogs' 2026 class includes Jared Curtis, Jordan Smith, Vance Spafford, Zech Fort, Lincoln Keyes, Graham Houston, Brady Marchese, Kealan Jones and Seven Cloud.