Report reveals the role that NIL will play in Georgia Bulldogs' pursuit of 2026 5-star QB Jared Curtis
The Georgia Bulldogs are currently in the midst of an intense recruiting battle with the Oregon Ducks for 2026 five-star quarterback Jared Curtis. Curtis, 6-foot-4/225 lbs from Nashville, TN, is rated in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 1 quarterback in the nation and the No. 2 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class. The […]
The Georgia Bulldogs are currently in the midst of an intense recruiting battle with the Oregon Ducks for 2026 five-star quarterback Jared Curtis.
Curtis, 6-foot-4/225 lbs from Nashville, TN, is rated in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 1 quarterback in the nation and the No. 2 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class.
The highly coveted recruit was previously committed to Georgia, but he reopened his recruitment this past October.
Auburn and South Carolina are also in the mix for Curtis (he's set to officially visit both those programs this spring/summer), but it's Georgia and Oregon that are viewed as the two strongest contenders for the five-star quarterback.
NIL will obviously play a role in Curtis' final decision — every five-star quarterback is getting paid big bucks these days — but this isn't a situation where the highest bidder is going to automatically win this recruiting battle.
Peter Webb, who serves as Curtis' agent, told On3 this week that this decision won't be about "the most money".
"For Jared, it’s not about who’s going to pay him the most money," said Webb. "It’s about what’s the right fit for him. Make the decision. Once he’s made the decision, then we go to work.”
Webb also insinuated that the final NIL package will be negotiated after Curtis makes his decision.
"Once that decision is made, then we get into the weeds and the financial package," said Webb. "We think that doing a financial package before a decision is made doesn’t help anybody for the long term."
In other words, the battle for Curtis involves money, but this is still essentially an old school recruiting battle. Who can make the best impression? Who can sell their program the best? Who can sell future success?
Kirby Smart has the best track record in the sport when it comes to developing talent and winning championships. If Curtis feels at home in Athens, then it's easy to see the Bulldogs winning this recruiting battle.
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart doesn’t hold back on NIL money while issuing stern challenge to his players
He’s absolutely spot on, too
