Georgia and Kirby Smart stand at a crossroads regarding 2026 No. 1 QB Jared Curtis’ recruitment. The Bulldogs have something that Curtis deeply admires and appreciates: a solid yet friendly coaching room. Smart has already jacked up his 2026 depth chart, swooping in five total commits within mid-February; he definitely has eyes for more. Among all the other stupendous talents left on the board, Kurtis stands out in his own right. The epic athlete from Nashville, Tennessee, caught a lot of eyeballs from the top-tier schools. Thanks to his impressive high school numbers and a highly commendable leadership quality that oozes out of his confident demeanor on and off the field.

Now, the question is: Will Georgia and Smart get their luck right on the place to land him at Athens? Well, it’s never a no but rather a maybe.

Jared Kurtis’ dual inclination calls mount for more dilemmas in Georgia 

Kurtis is not a newbie to Georgia. In fact, he verbally committed to the Bulldogs back in March 2024 before changing his mind and de-committing in October. However, the distance only brought him closer to the program, doubling down his appreciation for whatever Georgia has to offer. It might be a bit weird, but Kurtis said to ON3 journalist Steve Wiltfong that ever since he formally stepped down from his words, his relationship with the coaches took a positive shift, and he was eagerly waiting for his official visit to the school.

Does that mean Georgia has an edge? Well, not really, Oregon and Dan Lanning get in the way. Explaining the snag,

ON3’s Josh Newberg noted, “There’s a lot of pro-Georgia behind the scenes in his corner. Now, it doesn’t mean this is gonna be the final decision because this is big-boy recruitment I think the proximity of Athens to Nashville does not hurt Georgia at all but do not think from one minute that Oregon is not selling who they are their program their quarterbacks what they’ve done those types of things.” The standout QB prospect deems it absolutely remarkable how the Ducks just go out and fight without taking it too far in their heads. Their energy, enthusiasm, energy and flawless exhibition of pure class and talent appeal to one of the most sought-after pass catchers in the country.

Kurtis has a special respect and familiarity with OC Mike Bobo and Kirby Smart. He can’t appreciate more the way they develop their talents with the same consistent and disciplinary approach. But as Newberg calls up, it is never going to be a lopsided battle: “

This was not going to be a discount, so you know people were like, hey you know going to get this is not discount recruitment here, this is a big-boy recruitment .”

The five-star quarterback currently has plans to visit Georgia in April while making the trip to Oregon in June and anything can happen over there. If Georgia doesn’t emerge as the top favorite over Oregon, Kirby Smart will set up his alternative cards.

Georgia keeps options open as a strong backup line for Jared Kurtis

 Despite being almost there to land a commitment, Smart, as a veteran recruiter, knows what a last-minute heartbreak tastes like. So, he is stacking up his QB room not only for 2026 but also for 2027 ahead of his time. They shortlisted 6 QBs from 2027, namely, Peyton Houston, Jayce Johnson, Kharim Hughley, Trae Taylor, Trent Seaborn, and Teddy Jarrard.

Smart ain’t ignoring the 2026 bracket as well. In case they miss out on

Jared Kurtis, they will have some more targets to hold on to. The Bulldogs have offered Texas quarterback commit Dia Bell and Oklahoma pledge Jaden O’Neal. O’Neal as part of their crucial contingency plan.

Wiltfong also noted that 2026 four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth is high on Georgia. Kurtis remains the crown jewel target for the Bulldogs, but since he is equally invested in Dan Lanning and Georgia, it’s not wise to bet a dime on him, especially only him for a powerhouse program like Georgia. It will be interesting to see how Smart unfolds his 2026 depth chart, mounting more recruiting wins down the stretch.