Five-star quarterbacks are very expensive. Many of the top QBs in the country have reportedly been getting paid around $3-4 million per year at their school. That was seen last recruiting cycle when No. 1 quarterback Bryce Underwood signed a $12 million deal to flip to Michigan at the last second.
Jared Curtis, who is the No. 1 QB in the country in the 2026 recruiting class, just committed to Georgia on Monday, so most would assume that this means UGA will be cutting the elite quarterback a massive check.
But recent reports from On3's Pete Nakos shows that isn't the case at all.
Reported this week that Jared Curtis will make under $1 million in Year 1 at Georgia.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) May 7, 2025
Sources tell @On3sports that he's yet to sign a contract and negotiations are still not finished. So no final number to report yet. https://t.co/dAaLcowvW7 https://t.co/Bw2DW9Zouq
Jared Curtis will not make much NIL in first year at Georgia
Nakos has reported that Curtis will make less than $1 million during his first year at Georgia. This number on the surface is very shocking because not only is it less than the average amount a five-star quarterback makes, it's much lower. But this type of deal is something that has been reported a few times towards the end of Curtis's recruitment, so it was expected.
So why is Curtis taking this small of a deal for his first year in Athens? The reason he is doing that is because he probably won't play as a true freshman anyways. Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi are battling this offseason to be the starter in 2025, and whoever wins that battle will likely be the starter again in 2026.
This means that Curtis would have a path to become the starter in the 2027 season in his second year at Georgia. And when that happens, the amount of NIL he makes should go up significantly.
But at the end of the day, Curtis could have made more money elsewhere yet he still chose to commit to Georgia. So this shows just how much he loves UGA and how badly he wants to be a Bulldog.