Kirby Smart & Georgia’s Fortunes Take Unexpected Turn as 5-Star Jared Curtis’ College Football Inclination is Revealed

If there is one thing Georgia Bulldogs are good at apart from winning the championships, it has to be their recruitment. And when your program has Kirby Smart at the helm, no one in the current NCAA era is more aggressive than Kirby, perhaps. The Bulldogs HC, who worked under revolutionary coach Nick Saban for a decade, even does not shy away from admitting that “my goal is to outwork everybody in recruiting.” When Brad Crawford of 247sports ranked the best recruiting class in the last ten years, Alabama without a doubt dominated the chart, but Smart’s Bulldogs also made it to the list with 323.21 points. So, you know how good Kirby Smart has been with recruitment. However, Smart’s efforts to do so in 2026 are being met with resistance from afar. All the way from the Pacific coast.

The Oregon Ducks’ emergence as a top-end contender hasn’t been sudden or unwarranted. The fact that they won the B1G in Year 1 post-realignment from the Pac-12 and were unbeaten right through the regular season is a testament to how well Dann Lanning’s program recruits. Conceded, being in Nike’s backward, and that Phil Knight connection does pull its weight on the NIL front. But HC Lanning is one heck of a magnet himself. Somebody, Kirby Smart and Georgia are well aware of this. Lanning’s time as DC under Smart sure has seen some of that recruiting skill permeate through to him. So much so that the apprentice is now rubbing shoulders with the master. Even threatening to overthrow him when it comes to pulling the No. 1 QB in the class of ‘26, Jared Curtis.

Jared Curtis was an early Georgia commit up until last fall. Before he rescinded his verbal to keep his options open and take visits elsewhere. Fast forward to the present day, and his official shortlist of landing spots comprises just 2 schools—Oregon and, interestingly, Georgia again. This has introduced a fascinating question. How often do recruits de-commit from a program, still name them in their final 2, and then end up going back? On3’s Ari Wasserman asked this exact question to his colleague and recruitment guru Steve Wiltfong. Given his sheer volume of experience and how closely he’s tapped into the process, Wiltfong projects as the perfect guy to ask this. Well, his answer wouldn’t please Kirby Smart.

Over the On3 YouTube channel, Steve Wiltfong prefaced his reply by coming clean on how he’s not got the factual answer. However, CFB circles know his own subjective opinion has as much merit as the objective truth. “You know, I [feel] like oftentimes if [players] decommit from a school it’s hard to get them back in today’s landscape,” remarked Wiltfong. Not quite time to sound the alarm bells around Athens. But not ideal for those of a Georgia persuasion either. Wiltfong’s mention of “today’s landscape” pertained to him talking about the NIL era. While Kirby Smart has warmed up with time, Dan Lanning certainly holds the edge. This comment from Wiltfong follows on from Jared Curtis himself, making some subtle remarks that imply he indeed might be leaning toward Oregon. 

Let’s address the elephant in the room first. Jared Curtis recently announced he’ll make an official announcement about his decision on May 5th. This means he’s keeping these behemoth programs and coaches hanging for the entirety of spring. This begs the question—has Curtis warranted this amount of leverage? Certainly, the Tennessee native forced 58 total touchdowns in his junior year at Nashville Christian. This included 40 through the air, alongside gaudy 2,830 yards at a completion rate north of 70% A Gatorade POTY for Tennessee prospects of this ilk don’t come around often. While Curtis has been airing on the side of diplomacy and not been letting too much out, there’s reason to believe protégé Dan Lanning may just be about to pip Kirby Smart and add Curtis to what’s already a stacked Oregon class of ‘26.

Kirby Smart at risk of being shown up by former assistant Dan Lanning

Jared Curtis has been to Eugene thrice since his de-commitment from Georgia. During these visits, he really hit it off with Oregon OC Will Stein. “Me and Coach Stein’s relationship is really good,” said Curtis to On3. “My mom and dad really like it up [there]. What they do in their offense with the quarterbacks and getting players around them…They’re well coached and they’re disciplined and I think they’re hungry to go get it.” 

It could be nothing at all, but Curtis’ parents “really” liking Oregon is telling. Especially when you consider Georgia’s litany of issues off the field. Almost all of these pertain to recurring motor-related penalties and arrests, which have scarred the image of Kirby Smart’s program. Over 2 dozen student Georgia athletes have been arrested and/or been hit with DUIs since 2023. It’s not far-fetched to think Jared Curtis’ parents would factor that into the decision-making process. Additionally, there’s another reason to believe Curtis is a future Oregon enrollee.

Jared Curtis has admittedly fallen in love with Autzen Stadium. “The stadium was the most impressing thing,” he said. “The atmosphere…me and my dad came up [there and] we loved it. With 55,000 people, it as probably one of the loudest stadiums I’ve been in,” said Curtis. He attended a game against the Maryland Terps last season. Listen, this recruitment very much still hangs in the balance. Steve Wiltfong himself attested to that. But one thing is definitive—Coach Smart and Co. need to be wary of this traction and momentum Oregon seems to be gaining. Dan Lanning is notorious for pulling last-minute rabbits out of proverbial hats on the recruitment front. Just ask Ryan Day what went down with Na’eem Offord!