This fall will feature the debut of several highly-touted college football freshman, including one quarterback who was in high demand during the recruiting cycle. The new NIL era means that freshman players are entering the college football landscape with even more pressure.
ESPN’s Eli Lederman ranked the college football freshman facing the most pressure in 2026. Coming in at No. 2 on the list is a quarterback originally committed to Georgia who is now expected to replace Diego Pavia at Vanderbilt.
“The chance to replace Diego Pavia and compete for a starting job immediately ultimately drove Curtis’ decision to flip his commitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt late last fall,” Lederman wrote on Wednesday. “And, with little other proven talent in the program’s quarterback room, ESPN’s No. 1 pocket passer appears likely to be under center when the Commodores host Austin Peay in Week 1.
“Curtis will have the benefit of some continuity with veteran running back Sedrick Alexander and pass catchers Junior Sherrill and Tre Richardson returning in 2026. However, between filling Pavia’s shoes, the learning curve behind playing as a freshman in the SEC and question marks across an overhauled offensive line unit, Curtis will have plenty on his shoulders as he takes over the SEC’s No. 2 scoring offense from a year ago.”
Vanderbilt is quietly building a strong NIL base as the program was able fight off notable teams to retain Pavia for 2025. Additionally, Vandy was able to make an enticing offer to keep Curtis in Nashville on the verge of a potential move to Athens.
Jared Curtis is already at Vanderbilt and practicing with the team. Diego Pavia welcomed him to the program. ⚓⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6qjPxbnWPZ
NIL deals are typically not made public, but On3 projects Curtis’ value is $1.7 million. Curtis’ decision to pivot from Georgia to Vanderbilt appeared to be as much about being able to play right away as it was a financial move.
Georgia has star quarterback Gunner Stockton returning, which likely would have meant Curtis would have had to wait at least one season before playing.
This article first appeared on CFB-HQ on SI and was syndicated with permission.
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