Kirby Smart's elite recruit Jared Curtis earns the honor of Player of the Year

No. 1 quarterback Jared Curtis had been one of the most sought-after recruits, who kept the high school recruiting circuit on its toes. The wait and anticipation finally ended on May 5, when Curtis gave his pledge to Kirby Smart's Georgia Bulldogs.

In 2024, he led Nashville Christian to a 13-1 record, clinching the Tennessee DII-A state title and winning the 2024 Gatorade Tennessee Football Player of the Year award.

On Saturday, Curtis added another achievement to his trove of accolades. He earned the 2024 615Preps Player of the Year honor for his incredible junior year and posted the same on its Instagram handle.

615Preps is a news outlet focusing on high school football and basketball coverage in the greater Nashville area, The 2024 awards were sponsored by sports apparel and equipment manufacturing brand Destination Athlete.

"Happy to present Nashville Christian's Jared Curtis and Jeff Brothers wiut our 2024 Small Class Coach and Player of the Year Awards earlier today presented by Destination Athlete," the caption read.

Destination Athlete's Bryan Moyers congratulated Curtis and wished him the best for his future endeavors at Georgia.

"When you start the season with a massive target on your back, you have two choices: embrace the pressure and work harder, or crack. Clearly, you embraced the pressure as a privilege," Moyers stated.

"As you continue with your career with Georgia, there is no doubt that you will be met with some HUGE moments. Never forget the joy that this game brings and remind yourself that have earned the moment through your preparation and work in practice," he added.

Jared Curtis reportedly takes a pay cut to join the Bulldogs

Georgia commit Jared Curtis holds an NIL valuation of $2.1 million according to On3, but as it turned out, the Nashville native reportedly will take $1 million less, to stay closer to home, than he would have received at Dan Lanning's Oregon.

Lead Editor for Bulldogs on SI, Brooks Austin, reported regarding this aspect.

"He (Curtis) took a pay cut coming to Georgia compared to what he was going to get at Oregon,” Austin said. “I don’t know the number there, but I’ve been told it’s considerably higher — noticeably higher was the wordage, I believe.”

As reported, he will make between $600K and $800K in his debut season, which will then be boosted to $1.2 million to $1.4 million in 2027.

Even before his commitment announcement, in an interview with On3, Curtis called Kirby Smart's program a 'powerhouse', with great coaches.

"The biggest thing is the relationship with Coach (Mike) Bobo and what they do with quarterbacks," Curtis said on May 4, via On3. "Coach Bobo has a long history, and he’s done great as an offensive coordinator. ... I think they’re a powerhouse, and they have great coaches all around."

Georgia's Class of 2026 commits consist of: Jared Curtis, Jordan Smith, Vance Spafford, Zech Fort, Lincoln Keyes, Graham Houston, Kealan Jones, Brady Marchese, and Seven Cloud, according to 247Sports.