Georgia football has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. One of the biggest reasons why is because UGA was able to earn a commitment from five-star quarterback Jared Curtis, who is the No. 1 quarterback in the country.
Earning a commitment from the top ranked QB in the country is not an easy thing to do, especially in the NIL era. But Georgia was able to win Curtis’s recruitment not because of NIL, but because of Georgia’s relationships with Curtis and the intense atmosphere in Athens.
"Just the relationship with the coaches," Curtis shared via si.com. "Coach [Mike] Bobo and Coach Gummy [Van Gorder], Coach [Kirby] Smart and Coach [Streeter]. Just the town, I think it's very football related and they have the strongest fan base."
Jared Curtis wasn’t in it for the money
Most college football fans would assume that Georgia had to pay top dollar for Curtis to play for them. And while UGA is paying Curtis a lot, it is nowhere near as much as other top ranked quarterbacks.
In fact, Georgia will reportedly only pay Curtis $750,000 during his first season at Georgia in 2026.
Curtis likely had higher offers on the table, but he was drawn to Georgia for other reasons. He wanted to play for UGA because he had built amazing relationships with Georgia’s coaching staff. Curtis also loved the atmosphere in Athens and how much everyone at Georgia lives, breathes and eats football.
So in an era where so many players only care abount making as much money as possible, Curtis didn’t let those temptations distract him. Curtis focused on things that are more important than money, and it’s that reason and that reason alone that makes Curtis the perfect player to be the future of Georgia football at the quarterback position.