The last few weeks would have seemed like a whirlwind of emotions for Georgia and their HC Kirby Smart. The team won the SEC Championship under Smart, before falling to Notre Dame in the playoff quarterfinal and were left sweating over the fate of star running back Trevor Etienne after 11 Bulldogs declared for this year’s draft. While they received some reprieve there, it looks like their former commit, Jared Curtis won’t be returning to Athens.

After decommitting from Georgia in October, five-star QB recruit Jared Curtis visited Oregon and has made it clear that they remain his priority. “My interest in Oregon is above the others right now. It’s my relationship with Coach Stein and Coach Lanning. It’s great and we had a great time when we went up there,” Curtis said before his visit to the Ducks on November 9. Curtis also paid a visit to Georgia for their clash against Tennessee on November 16, which faintly ignited hopes of a return. However, the latest developments suggest that more suitors are pursuing him.

Curtis, a Nashville native, led Nashville Christian to the DII-A TSSAA football championship with a 49-21 win over Columbia Academy on December 5 and his MVP performance has only intensified the talk about his future. On3’s Josh Newberg has mentioned though Oregon remains in the mix, it is not a given that he would commit to them.

“If you remember, he was committed to Georgia at one point, backed off that after about two months, and has come out and named Oregon as a favorite. I don’t know if I’d consider them the leader but they are a favorite. Right now Auburn, Bama, Ole Miss, Ohio State, and South Carolina, (are) all involved now.

Curtis backed off that commitment to Georgia because he wanted to take some visits I expect him to do that this spring I don’t know when a decision could come I doubt it would come before summer but you never know,” Newberg said on On3 Recruits.

Curtis revealed that he was receiving offers despite his commitment to Georgia in March, but didn’t want to field offers while being associated with the Bulldogs. Hence, he made the decision to de-commit and make an informed decision. Even though he has not set a timeline for his commitment, he confirmed he was considering a number of top schools including Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, Clemson, USC, and South Carolina.

For Curtis, the key factors in his decision are the relationships and stability with the coaching staff and how they develop quarterbacks. Taking that into consideration, Oregon coach Dan Lanning and offensive coordinator Will Stein will provide Curtis with the perfect platform. Notably, Lanning and Stein developed former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix into a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft as the Denver Broncos snapped him up.

Moreover, Oregon has remained the favorite to get Curtis on board after he praised the program following his second visit to Eugene when the Ducks beat Maryland.

“Yes sir, I had a great visit up there last weekend when I went. My dad went up with me and my mom has been up with me once. I loved the atmosphere and look forward to getting back up there. I’d say my relationship with coach Stein and coach Lanning is really good,” he told On3.

Despite this, other programs, especially, South Carolina remain in contention. Tom Loy, a national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, picked South Carolina as the destination for Curtis. Notably, Oregon has a commitment from four-star quarterback Jonas Williams, which could play in South Carolina’s favor.

South Carolina also made a compelling pitch to Curtis both on and off the field, offering a strong combination of NIL opportunities and a clear vision for his development. At South Carolina, Curtis would be a major player and this is something that he can consider while making the decision. But then again, Georgia cannot be counted out entirely.

Following his visit to Athens, Curtis had nothing but positive things to say about the program and his connection with them. “I’d say I’m still interested in Georgia as long as they are interested in me. I’d say I had a lot of true happiness there. Other places you go and you just feel it is not right and you don’t feel you should be there. But I go to Georgia and I get the family atmosphere and the family feeling from Coach [Mike] Bobo, Coach Gummy [Montgomery Van Gorder], and Coach [Kirby] Smart every time I go.” This should fill Georgia fans with some hope, but as you know, he is not the only player who suddenly changed his mind and left Kirby Smart’s program.

Shamari Earls, whom Smart was trying the hardest to keep in the program, left them for Michigan in November. UGA has lost 12 players to transfer thus far, while 11 of its players have declared for the NFL Draft 2025. But there was some positive development as well after their painful defeat at the hands of Notre Dame.

Kirby Smart receives a boost in his Georgia plans

Running back Trevor Etienne’s future has been a topic of debate in Georgia with the player eligible to enter the draft. However, according to a report from Dawgnation’s Mike Griffith, Etienne plans to return to Athens next season, something he has conveyed to Smart and the Bulldogs staff.

Etienne was Georgia’s most dangerous offensive player, leading with nine rushing touchdowns to go with his 631 yards on 122 carries in 10 games this season. He will now be in his second season at UGA after his  Florida transfer.

Despite losing players, Smart is already making moves to fill his roster for the next season. The latest addition is Adrian Maddox, a safety from the Florida Gators. With three years of experience, two at Bama and one with UAB, he’s a valuable addition to the Bulldogs.

Meanwhile, the recruiting race is heating up, especially between Oregon and Georgia for bringing in talent for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. One name to watch? Tyler Atkinson is the No. 1 linebacker in the 2026 class. Atkinson is ranked as the No. 7 athlete nationally and the top recruit in Georgia. Now whoever gets him might have an upper hand for that year, plus who knows if they convince him to get out early?