Ohio State and Georgia have been two of the most dominant football programs in the country, with both schools claiming three of the last four national championships. Much of their success comes from the impressive recruiting efforts of head coaches Ryan Day and Kirby Smart, who are known for landing top-tier talent. However, even these powerhouses face competition when it comes to securing their top recruits.
One of the latest recruiting battles centers around Jared Curtis, a highly sought-after quarterback from Nashville Christian. Schools like South Carolina, Alabama, Auburn, and Ohio State have all shown interest, but the race is now down to just three: Oregon, Georgia, and South Carolina. Despite the appeal of staying close to home with Georgia or South Carolina, Oregon is quickly becoming the front-runner in the race for Curtis.
According to On3’s Steve Wiltfong, Curtis has formed a strong connection with Oregon’s offensive coordinator, Will Stein. Having visited Eugene twice and been impressed by Oregon head coach Dan Lanning’s in-home visit in January, it looks like the Ducks are pulling ahead in this recruitment. While Curtis has spoken positively about Georgia, sources indicate that Oregon is trending as the favorite to land the five-star QB.
For Ohio State and Georgia, this is a setback in their efforts to find their future quarterbacks, as both programs need to replace key players like Will Howard and Carson Beck in 2025. If they had hoped to wait until 2026 to bring in Curtis, it’s now looking unlikely. With Oregon making strong moves in this recruitment, the Ducks could soon snatch up one of the most promising quarterbacks in the nation.