In college football, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals often seem to dictate the direction of recruiting. Programs can build relationships with players for years, only to lose them at the last minute to the highest bidder.
A prime example of this came in January 2024, when Bryce Underwood committed to LSU, only for Michigan, his home-state school, to swoop in at the eleventh hour with a reported $12 million NIL offer.
Georgia proves loyalty still exists
Just when it seemed like loyalty no longer had a place in the recruiting world, Jared Curtis, the No. 1 quarterback in the 2026 class, proved otherwise. Curtis reaffirmed his commitment to the Georgia Bulldogs, the program that had been recruiting him from the start.
Georgia’s recent track record with five-star quarterbacks has been rocky. Jacob Eason, Justin Fields, and Brock Vandagriff all transferred to other schools. Even the Bulldogs’ most recent attempt to land a No. 1 overall quarterback fell through when Dylan Raiola decommitted at the last second and ultimately chose Nebraska.
While Georgia understands the importance of NIL, they also lean heavily on their commitment to developing players into the best versions of themselves. Curtis is betting on that development. By committing to Georgia, he’s committing to growth, not just money.
Curtis becomes Georgia’s first No. 1 overall quarterback commit since Matthew Stafford, and the comparisons between the two are hard to ignore at this point. At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Curtis possesses a high-level arm and the ability to create out of structure, traits that closely mirror Stafford’s as a prospect.
If offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and the Georgia staff can unlock his full potential, the Bulldogs could soon find themselves back on top of the college football world that every Georgia football fans so desperately craves.