With the regular season over, Vanderbilt is making big moves in the recruitment sector. A big name has come up for the Commodores in the form of five-star quarterback Jared Curtis. Curtis, who committed to the Bulldogs in 2025, has now officially flipped to Vanderbilt, which would be big news for head coach Clark Lea.

He is the No. 1 quarterback nationally and No. 4 player overall from the 2026 class. So, can his commitment help Vanderbilt move up the college football rankings and secure a playoff spot? The answer is no, much to Clark Lea’s dismay.

The reason is that a single commitment, even from a top quarterback, has no impact on CFP rankings because the committee doesn’t evaluate recruiting. Their criteria focus on on-field results, strength of schedule, win quality, and conference titles. Curtis won’t even be on campus yet, so he remains completely irrelevant to how the committee ranks Vanderbilt.

For Lea, Jared Curtis’ commitment means he has found a successor to quarterback Diego Pavia, who led the Vanderbilt offense this season. Curtis drew headlines for his standout performances at Nashville Christian High School. The 6’3″, 225-pound quarterback posted 3,467 yards, 58 touchdowns, and just three interceptions last season, earning both the Division II-A Mr. Football award and the Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year honor.

Vanderbilt’s playoff hopes hang in the balance. Despite finishing the season 10-2 and closing with an impressive 45-24 win over Tennessee, the Commodores sit at No. 14 in the overall rankings, two spots outside the playoff cutoff. Five conference champions will receive automatic bids, along with the loser of the Big Ten Championship Game.

Oregon, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss also remain strong candidates to make the field, assuming the CFP committee does not punish the Rebels for Lane Kiffin’s departure. That leaves only three spots available for Vanderbilt.

The selection criteria include strength of schedule, head-to-head results, and current level of play. Vanderbilt has a realistic chance to slide into the playoff field, but their path becomes more complicated if Alabama loses to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. The Commodores fell to Alabama earlier this season, meaning head-to-head comparisons could work against them.

Clark Lea believes there is a bias against Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt has been one of the most impressive sides in the country this season. In an unlikely manner, Clark Lea has led the Commodores to a 10-2 overall record. However, playoff contention is still out of their hands. For Lea, this showcases a certain bias against his side.

“I don’t know a world that exists where this team doesn’t belong in that field,” Lea said Monday on the SEC Network. “I’m learning right now about all the flaws in how we determine who’s in, who’s out. I’m very interested in fighting against any perception. I think there’s a bias against Vanderbilt. I think we’ve been ignored earlier in the season, and we were not given a chance. It took us winning our way into the conversation. All we’ve done is line them up and knock them down.”

Vanderbilt’s playoff hopes heavily rely on the SEC Championship game. If Alabama wins, it could create a playoff path for the Commodores.

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