2026 5-star QB Jared Curtis sets commitment date for decision between Georgia football, Oregon
Five-star junior quarterback Jared Curtis has set a date for his college commitment.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Curtis will choose between Georgia football and Oregon on May 5, his mom confirmed to The Tennessean.
Curtis, a former Georgia commitment from Nashville Christian, is a five-star prospect ranked as the No. 1 quarterback in the 2026 class and No. 2 player nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite.
More: Top 2026 QB Jared Curtis, former Georgia football commit, named Gatorade Tennessee Player of Year
More: Why Jared Curtis enjoyed winning TSSAA football state championship more than Alabama visit
Curtis decommitted from Georgia in October but said the Bulldogs and coach Kirby Smart were still among his top schools. That gave Dan Lanning and Oregon, as well as others who pursued Curtis after he committed, their chance to make a strong impression.
Curtis made an official visit to Oregon from March 8-12 and visited Georgia from March 13-16.
Curtis' strong arm is well beyond his years, and he's big and strong enough to be a threat on the ground.
He finished his junior season 179-of-255 passing for 2,830 yards passing, 40 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also led Nashville Christian (12-1) in rushing with 637 yards and 18 touchdowns on 88 carries.
Curtis led Nashville Christian to the TSSAA football Division II-A state title in December and raked in multiple accolades. He was voted as Tennessee Titans DII-A Mr. Football and also claimed the Gatorade Tennessee football player of the year award.
Reach sports writer Tyler Palmateer at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, formerly Twitter, @tpalmateer83.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Jared Curtis: 2026 5-star QB sets date for decision on Oregon football, Georgia
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Seven takeaways as Atlanta Falcons head into summer, starting at quarterback
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — After two days of mandatory minicamp practices, the Atlanta Falcons have a final day of spring meetings on Thursday before breaking for the summer. The team won't reconvene until late July when training camp begins. The Falcons were on the field Tuesday and Wednesday, but head coach Raheem Morris referred to those workouts as 'big-time walk-throughs,' and the only 11-on-11 drills came at the end of each practice featuring the team's rookies and developmental players. A full 10 minutes of Wednesday's practice included offensive skill players competing in a quarterback drill, trying to throw a football into a trash can in the corner of the end zone 30 yards away. Advertisement The Falcons' focus for the week was 'above the neck,' Morris said. Still, there were things to learn about this team heading into the summer break. Here are seven offseason Atlanta takeaways: It's noteworthy how little doubt exists in Atlanta that second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. can carry an offense that will be expected to put up big numbers this year. Penix started the final three games of the 2024 season and impressed his teammates and coaches, but his numbers didn't scream a sure thing. He was 27th in the league in passer rating (78.6) and 29th in completion percentage (58 percent), with three touchdown passes and three interceptions from Week 16 through Week 18. However, what the Falcons have seen from Penix behind the scenes, combined with his poise on the field, has coaches and teammates convinced he's bound for a big year. 'He gives us a huge confidence boost, and that arm is crazy,' wide receiver Drake London said. 'Can't wait to see what he can do with it this year.' Atlanta made clear in Penix's three starts that it will lean on his arm talent to power its offense. The University of Washington product was eighth in the NFL in passing yards (737) in the final three weeks of the season. 'He was at a very high level last year,' Morris said. 'Shocked us all last year at where he was. So, I'm really fired up and really pleased where he can go to the next step and take the next step.' MP9 👁️@themikepenix — Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) June 11, 2025 Fifth-year tight end Kyle Pitts attended minicamp but was never spotted on the field as the team is being 'extremely cautious' about a foot injury he is dealing with, Morris said. 'Everybody is in different spots when you're talking about injuries,' Morris said. 'Hopefully, he's going to be fine, and we look forward to him being back for training camp.' Advertisement Falcons coaches continue to be publicly supportive of Pitts, but Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz reported multiple teams have reached out to Atlanta to inquire if Pitts might be available via trade. For now, that answer is no. 'I have a lot of belief in him,' Morris said. 'He's super talented. That's always going to be the thing that gives you hope on Kyle.' Pitts had 68 catches for 1,028 yards as a rookie but has only had 128 catches for 1,625 yards in the last three seasons. He'll play this season on his fifth-year option. 'He's done such a great job of all the things we have asked him,' Morris said. 'He's been absolutely outstanding to be around.' It sounds like Atlanta's defensive playbook will shrink this year while the unit's energy and volume increase. The Falcons remade their defensive coaching staff in the winter, hiring Jeff Ulbrich as defensive coordinator, Mike Rutenberg as defensive pass game coordinator and Nate Ollie as defensive line coach. Rutenberg and Ollie, in particular, are notably active on the field and, according to their players, in the offices. 'Ruty's got a lot of energy,' cornerback A.J. Terrell said. 'He's somebody every football team needs. I know every building has got somebody like Ruty. First time I met him, I had gone upstairs to the offices. I was just up there to see all the new faces. He's like, 'Don't call me coach, I'm Ruty.' We went right into his office and talked about life, didn't even talk about football. He wants to be our best friend, can't wait to continue to work with him.' Ollie is so loud in defensive line meetings that other coaches close the door to their meeting rooms, defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro said. 'There has not been one day he is not yelling at the top of his lungs,' Orhorhoro said. In return for asking their players to go extra fast on every snap, the Falcons defensive coaches will be scaling back what they ask those players to do. 'Brick and Ruty have had a lot of success in their system by putting high-end athletic guys on repeat,' Atlanta linebackers coach Barret Ruud said. Advertisement Free-agent linebacker Divine Deablo noticed that quickly upon his arrival. 'We're just going to play fast and not think,' Deablo said. 'They just want everybody to have simple jobs and going full speed.' The increasing complexity of NFL's offenses necessitates a scaling back on defense, said Ulbrich, who is intent on giving his players a set of rules they can apply even to offensive looks Atlanta hasn't practiced against. 'I could say, 'I'm just going to throw chaos back at (the offense).' That works for some people, but I don't feel good about that,' Ulbrich said. 'When a player comes to the sideline and we got beat, I need to give him an explanation of exactly what happened and how we fix it. If I can't do that, that's a fireable offense as far as I'm concerned. So, as they get more complex, and in my opinion, we get simpler.' So far, Morris believes the risk the team took by trading back into the first round to draft edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is paying off. Pearce didn't have a first-round grade from some teams due to concerns about off-field issues, two league sources told The Athletic, but Atlanta did extra background work on him before the draft, and Morris has been happy with Pearce's 'willingness to collaborate with the people that we hooked him up with,' the coach said. 'He was one of the guys that we dug into a bunch and really fell in love with the guy and who he is, the honesty,' Morris said. 'Being around him, it's been a lot of what I thought and what I expected.' Morris gave Pearce a locker next to Terrell, the veteran cornerback, hoping Terrell's work ethic would be a good example for the rookie. 'Cool dude, man, mature,' Terrell said. The quietest development of minicamp that could end up having the largest impact on the team is the return of safety DeMarcco Hellams to the practice field. Hellams played 15 games as a rookie in 2023, starting four times, but missed all of 2024 due to an ankle injury. He looked smooth and healthy this week in less-than-full-speed practice work, and veteran safety Jessie Bates believes Hellams can be a key contributor even with the addition of free agent Jordan Fuller and rookies Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman to the secondary. Advertisement 'He's the enforcer in our room,' Bates said. 'When we put on the pads, you'll know Hellams is back out there. He's pissed off right now. We call him Bamm-Bamm. He wants to hit people.' Morris is more than happy to have running back Bijan Robinson emerge as the face of his team. The head coach has spoken glowingly about the third-year running back throughout the offseason, and in March, the pair flew to New York to attend a boxing match between Tank Davis and Lamont Roach along with some of Morris' longtime friends. 'Me and him got to bond, and he got to know who I was more as a person,' Robinson said. 'I have a cool friend group, I think, but them dudes are wild. They are super funny, super sweet people. It's endless jokes. You can tell they all grew up together, and that love is always there. It's just cool to see where he came from and who he is, too. Me and him are just real similar people in that we try to be great people to everybody. If you can build chemistry with your coach, that is huge.' The 48-year-old Morris called the 23-year-old Robinson 'an old soul.' 'He is the hardest person on the team to talk about,' Morris said. 'He's such a great player, such a great human. I love being around him.' It's possible but unlikely the Falcons will move veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins before the return to training camp. Cousins, who told team owner Arthur Blank in March that he would prefer to be traded or released after being benched in favor of Penix, attended mandatory minicamp this week and committed to doing everything he can to help the team as long as he's around. It still would benefit the Falcons in many ways to trade Cousins, but there will be little incentive to do that during the break. Instead, Atlanta is likely to wait and see if a team gets desperate due to injury or ineffective play at the position once players are back on the field. Advertisement 'I've always believed in what Mike Shanahan told me my rookie year, which is tough times don't last, tough people do,' Cousins said. 'You have to be resilient. Life is going to have some curveballs, and you just have to keep moving. I think the key is that you don't pout or stop, you just keep moving forward and believe if you do that good things will happen.' (Top photo of Michael Penix Jr.: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)


Washington Post
4 hours ago
- Washington Post
Zaltos, Mantzouranis go 1-2 in hammer to help Minnesota take lead in NCAA track championships
EUGENE, Ore. — Kostas Zaltos won the NCAA hammer throw and fellow Greek thrower Angelos Mantzouranis was second to help Minnesota take the Day 1 lead at the outdoor track and field championships Wednesday. Zaltos and Mantzouranis are the first teammates to go 1-2 in the NCAA hammer throw since Virginia Tech did it in 2011. Zaltos won with a throw of 256 feet, 2 inches in the fourth round to become the first Minnesota outdoor champion since 2018 and just the third since 1971. Mantzouranis, who finished third as a freshman last year, had a personal-best 252-6.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Georgia Tech vs. Georgia Basketball Rivalry Set for 2025
Georgia Tech vs. Georgia Basketball Rivalry Set for 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Mark your calendars, Jacket Nation. Georgia Tech's basketball team will make the short but heated trip to Athens on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, to face off against in-state rival Georgia in what will be the 201st edition of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate on the hardwood, and it's happening earlier than usual, adding a fresh twist to one of college basketball's longest-standing rivalries. Advertisement The matchup, which returns to Stegeman Coliseum, is part of a massive sports weekend for Georgia fans, who will also host Texas in football the following day. But Tech fans are eyeing the Friday tipoff as an opportunity to reset the tone of the rivalry and stop the Bulldogs' recent surge. Georgia has taken the last two meetings, including a 77-69 win in Atlanta last year, and has won seven of the last nine contests. Despite that, Tech still holds the all-time series edge at 107-93, a history that adds weight to every possession when these two collide. But this year's game has more than tradition riding on it. For head coach Damon Stoudamire and the Yellow Jackets, Nov. 14 is more than a rivalry, it's a benchmark. After flashes of promise last season and an offseason focused on identity and development, this early test against an NCAA Tournament squad gives Georgia Tech a chance to make a national statement and spoil Georgia's momentum under Mike White, now entering his fourth season. Duke's Cooper Flagg (2) blocked by Georgia Tech forward Baye Ndongo (11).© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images White guided Georgia to a 20–13 finish and the school's first NCAA Tournament berth since 2015. Their non-conference slate includes Maryland Eastern Shore, Morehead State, Western Carolina, and West Georgia, solid but winnable games. But the real fire starts with the Jackets. Advertisement Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate is always personal, but with Georgia aiming for back-to-back March Madness runs and Tech hungry to reclaim bragging rights, expect an edge. Expect intensity. And expect Jacket fans to travel well and loud. From the first tip to the final whistle, this Nov. 14 showdown will be more than a game, it's a litmus test for Tech's toughness and a chance to change the script. So circle the date. Wear the gold. And remember: rivalries don't start at tipoff, they live in every practice, every film session, every fan's memory. This is the one you can't lose. Georgia Tech vs Georgia basketball rivalry 2025, Clean Old-Fashioned Hate game photo, Stegeman Coliseum matchup, Yellow Jackets vs Bulldogs basketball showdown Advertisement Related: Georgia Tech Football's CFP Odds Leaves Fans in Disbelief Related: Georgia Tech Hits Home Run Hiring James Ramsey as Coach This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.