Vanderbilt football didn't hand the reins over to Jared Curtis right away after landing the five-star quarterback's commitment.
The Commodores instead started the 2026 season with Blaze Berlowitz while working Curtis in to the first two games. Curtis was named the full-time starter before the third game, a matchup with NC State.
Now, this is really Curtis' team. Vanderbilt hasn't shown any indication of wanting to change quarterbacks, but Berlowitz suffered a broken collarbone in a garbage time appearance against Ole Miss and won't be available for the next month.
The Commodores (3-3, 0-3 SEC) are set to face Arkansas (2-4, 0-3) in a matchup Oct. 17 (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network) that will give Vanderbilt the opportunity to turn its season around after
a 52-17 loss to Ole Miss.
For the Commodores to rebound and make a bowl game, they will need continued development from Curtis. He's already seen the game start to slow down for him. Though there have been some mistakes that all freshmen make − forcing throws, telegraphing plays, ball security − he's also made NFL-level throws that even Diego Pavia wouldn't have been able to make.
Coach Clark Lea said that Vanderbilt is simplifying its playbook for Curtis.
"He's learning, and the volume can be burdensome," Lea said. "And so I'm really interested to see how, as the week goes, we streamline and trim and create a plan that is built around his skills and our offensive strengths to give us the best chance to move the ball."
How Jared Curtis has developed through 2026 season for Vanderbilt
Curtis' best all-around game was arguably his first start against NC State. Curtis was 20-for-34 passing for 277 yards and he ran for 64 yards on 12 attempts.
Though his completion percentage of 58.8% was lower in that game than in either of Curtis' SEC appearances so far, he averaged 8.1 yards per attempt, which was significantly more than he did against Ole Miss or Auburn. It was also his most successful rushing game, though he did throw an interception that nearly killed Vanderbilt's chances until its miracle fumble recovery ending.
Against Auburn, Curtis had a stellar 66.7% completion percentage, but he also had his fewest total yards (199) and yards per attempt (6), and also didn't account for any touchdowns. During that game, Curtis suffered an injury that caused him to miss the Georgia game, which likely impacted his performance, but Lea declined to mention when the injury happened.
After Curtis returned from injury, he went 19-for-32 passing (59.4%) for 222 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions vs Ole Miss. Both the interceptions came on tipped passes. Ole Miss was also his worst rushing game, though that was perhaps to be expected coming off the injury.
What Jared Curtis can learn from Blaze Berlowitz
Berlowitz showed Curtis a few things not to do in the first two games. Most notably, against Delaware, Berlowitz lost a fumble when he tried to hurdle a defender, doing far too much trying to be a hero on the play.
Against Georgia, Berlowitz was far better. In particular, he excelled at using his legs to extend plays, waiting for receivers to come open when the Bulldogs blitzed. Berlowitz also made good reads, something that most freshmen struggle with.
"(Ole Miss') defensive front was extremely disruptive," Arkansas defensive coordinator Ron Roberts told reporters. "They got (Vanderbilt) behind the sticks, getting them into second-and-long, extra long, third-and-longs. They could put their ears back, have rush plans and exotic coverages."
That's something that Curtis will almost certainly improve as he gains experience, and likely something that playing against Austin Peay and Delaware wouldn't have helped much with, given the step up from those levels to playing an SEC defense.
Should Jared Curtis have seen more playing time early in the season?
Curtis' best game came against NC State before seeing the step up in competition to SEC play, despite that being his very first start. But the best argument that Curtis could've used more playing time is that he could've used those reps to develop chemistry with the rest of the offense.
Vanderbilt has struggled with procedural penalties, like false starts and illegal formations. Not all of that is on Curtis, but it could indicate struggles of communication or chemistry. Missing time with the injury didn't help, either.
"I have a lot of confidence in (Curtis)," Lea said. "His injury didn't have anything to do with some of the issues we've had, but I do think every time we're out there is a chance for us to build chemistry."
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: Unpacking Jared Curtis' development in Vanderbilt 5-star QB's first season
