Coach Clark Lea confirmed that Blaze Berlowitz would start the opening game against Austin Peay for Vanderbilt football, but he said that Jared Curtis would also play in the game and did not commit to Berlowitz as the starter beyond the first game.
"Blaze is taking the first snap," Lea said on Aug. 27. It was Lea's first media availability since it was reported two days earlier that Berlowitz would start against Austin Peay. "He's earned the right to do that. I think he's had a consistent camp, and Jared's earned the right to play. This guy's been ascending. ... We feel like just to get rhythm and chemistry going offensively, Blaze will give us a chance to do that, and we'll have an opportunity to insert Jared in the game to give him his first college
game experience."
Lea said there was not a specific time that he planned to insert Curtis in the game but it would depend on game situation.
Lea named Berlowitz the starting quarterback for the season opener against Austin Peay Sept. 5 (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+) over Curtis, the 5-star quarterback who was ranked No. 2 in the 2026 class.
Berlowitz has been around much longer than Curtis, with three years in Tim Beck's offense where he played behind 2025 Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia. But over the past three years, he's appeared in just seven games and attempted 36 passes. When he played in 2025, he was 9-for-17 passing for 131 yards and one touchdown while also rushing 11 times for 81 yards and a touchdown. The majority of his attempts came in nonconference play but he did attempt five passes against Kentucky and one against South Carolina.
Lea hinted that the competition was still ongoing and would be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. He did not commit to any starting quarterback beyond the Austin Peay game.
"With a young player who's ascending the way Jared is, it's never a bad thing to extend runway and continue to develop," Lea said. "What I want ... is to get super prescriptive about the ways that he can continue to grow and develop in terms of the tactical awareness or fundamental technical parts of his game so that he can play his best football this year, and that we can make a decision week in and week out what best 11 positions us to win."
How Jared Curtis reacted to not being named starter
When Lea told the team of his decision, he said, Curtis was disappointed, but he handled the news well.
"Any competitor is going to be disappointed," Lea said. "That's the reality of having passion and energy towards something. I can tell you that I actually really respected how Jared handled it and I got a glimpse of the passion that he has and what he wants to accomplish here."
What Clark Lea said about Blaze Berlowitz strengths
The main selling point for Berlowitz has always been about his experience in Tim Beck's offense, which he has learned for three years behind Pavia despite limited in-game reps.
"There's a demeanor, an attitude, a presence that he has in the huddle, and an awareness, an understanding that I think strengthens his performance," Lea said. "He's a good athlete who has made plays with his legs and has made good decisions in the run game, in the q-power read settings."
The main area Berlowitz needs to improve is avoiding turnovers in third-and-long situations.
"There are times when the ball goes up and is compromised, and I want him to be super disciplined as we head into game week because we don't need to press to make the big play," Lea said.
How Clark Lea justifies playing two quarterbacks playing vs Austin Peay
Lea has played two quarterbacks in a game in the past at Vanderbilt, but it has never worked particularly well. This situation is slightly different, as those previous instances were typically where one quarterback was used primarily as a runner or in Wildcat sets.
"It's not always ideal," Lea said. "I think we have a unique situation where we have a young player who's earned the right. And I don't hold it against Jared that there's still parts of this that he's learning and growing into."
Lea felt that playing both quarterbacks in the opener was the best way to develop both of them as contributors for the 2026 season.
"The goal is that we reward Blaze, that we get the offense organized in game one, that we continue to develop Jared, and that gives our team the best chance to evolve as we go," Lea said. " ... The best version of Vanderbilt football comes from both those guys being developed at a really high level."
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Blaze Berlowitz will start at QB for Vanderbilt football, Jared Curtis role
