A potential Jared Curtis consolation prize just emerged for Georgia if the 5-star QB flips

UPDATE: Since this article was published, Jared Curtis has reportedly flipped from Georgia to Vanderbilt

Two years after Georgia saw Dylan Raiola flip to Nebraska late in the cycle when he was a five-star quarterback recruit, the Bulldogs are in danger of losing another even more highly-touted QB. Five-star Jared Curtis is the No. 1 player in the country according to 247Sports Composite, and the Nashville, Tennessee, native has been committed to Georgia since May. 

However, in recent weeks, Vanderbilt has been making a huge push to flip him. Curtis has set his announcement for Wednesday, the start of the early national signing period, and while he remains committed to Kirby Smart’s program, all the momentum is with his hometown Commodores. 

So, where does Georgia turn if Curtis spurns the Dawgs with a signing day flip? Well, such a move by the No. 1 player in the country could knock down other dominoes and send the whole day into chaos, so that option may not be clear yet. Or maybe it’s crystal clear after a huge Monday de-commitment. 

4-star QB Peyton Falzone de-commits from Auburn after Alex Golesh hiring

The movement on the coaching carousel has also spurred significant movement in the 2026 recruiting class, including two 4-star QB moves on Monday. First, 4-star former Penn State commit Troy Huhn, who was the top-ranked uncommitted QB in the 2026 class at No. 21, committed to James Franklin’s Virginia Tech Hokies. Then, another former Penn State commit, Peyton Falzone, de-committed from Auburn, where he flipped over the summer. 

Now, at No. 20 in the class, Falzone is the top-ranked uncommitted QB in the country. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound, Pennsylvania native could be heading back to the Nittany Lions, but with no head coach in place in Happy Valley, that’s far from a sure thing. 

Georgia hasn’t shown interest in Falzone throughout the process, but when your focus is on the No. 1 QB, why bother with No. 20? Well, if Curtis does flip to Vanderbilt, then Smart, Mike Bobo, and the rest of the staff may consider speed-running the recruitment process with Falzone to ensure that they bring in a 2026 high school QB. 

If not, it’s far from the end of the world. Smart is set to have Gunner Stockton back as his starter in 2026, likely with Ryan Puglisi and Ryan Montgomery returning to back him up for another season. Georgia does not need an immediate starter, as Vanderbilt will, with Diego Pavia out of eligibility, which is a major component of the pitch to flip Curtis. 

Still, Smart will likely look to add depth to the position, either through high school, where Falzone is the top available option, or the transfer portal.