On December 2, 2025, 5-star legacy QB Jared Curtis flipped his commitment to Vanderbilt from Georgia. Everyone touted him as Diego Pavia’s successor, and since he was the program’s first five-star, it was already understood he would have the starting role in 2026. As spring ball begins, head coach Clark Lea has three more QBs vying for the starter role, and he has shown reluctance to name his QB1 for now.

“I thought all four of those guys (QBs) showed flashes today,” Clark Lea said after spring practice yesterday. “We’re not supposed to have it all figured out yet, but I’m proud of the work we put in, here nine practices in. And I’m excited for the next six opportunities, and then obviously to move forward in the summer. A lot of work ahead of us. It wasn’t a clean day, but certainly some points of celebration… we’ve got four guys right now that have shown the traits and talent.”

Lea has the biggest transition on his hands this year after Pavia’s departure. After a 10-win season, the Vandy head coach can be bold and even have Curtis on the bench. More importantly, he can hold Vandy’s first true QB competition under his tenure. That’s exactly what Clark Lea and OC Tim Beck are indicating they will do.

“He’s doing good,” Beck said about Jared Curtis. “Right now, all four quarterbacks are getting equal reps. He and the rest of the quarterbacks are learning. … It’s just learning everything, learning the offense, continuing to grow. It’s always new.”

Beck, who joined Lea’s staff as OC in 2024, adjusted his offense to Diego Pavia’s strengths. In the 2024 season, he incorporated pistol-based, read-option, and spread-option concepts while maintaining a run-first mentality. Pavia wasn’t elite with his arm strength, but he was a physical runner and was accurate. That helped Vandy upset Alabama in and then pull off a historic 2025 season. Jared Curtis isn’t that kind of a QB.

Amongst the 4 QBs Clark Lea has this year, Blaze Berlowitz looks more like Pavia. Though Berlowitz also lacks elite arm talent, he compensates for it with being a dangerous runner, as he ran 63 yards for a touchdown against Georgia State last year. Interestingly, he wants to be the QB1 and is fighting for the spot.

“I took a lot from Diego,” Berlowitz said. “He was a great player, and just to be able to watch him and his competitive spirit, I’ve really tried to take that from him and implement what I can into my game, and just play free and have fun. It’s a football game. We’re trying to have fun.”

Unlike other programs, Clark Lea had a full pads practice for his QBs. Amid those grueling tackles, Berlowitz hurdled a tackler yesterday on a play and even lowered his shoulder on a hit on a different play. Just like how Pavia did at Vanderbilt. Don’t get it wrong, though; he isn’t still your QB1.

Clark Lea urges Vandy fans to avoid Jared Curtis and Diego Pavia comparisons

For all the talk about Jared Curtis’ inexperience and true freshman status, he is still the best QB Vandy has ever signed. He isn’t your physical rusher like Pavia, but he can throw those deep balls. However, yesterday, during Curtis’ first drive, he threw just once of the five times he dropped back. Curtis managed to scramble successfully in moments but also got sacked. Even Clark Lea now wants to avoid Diego Pavia comparisons, which can put pressure on Curtis.

“Last I checked, and I could be wrong, but I think there’s only one Diego Pavia alive. And we were fortunate and grateful to have him as a part of our program,” Clark Lea said yesterday. “I think we need more consistent play. Specifically with Jared. This is a guy who is three months into learning a college offense. I think his world has shifted pretty dramatically with respect to process and time spent, and how that position needs to strengthen the other 10 on the field.”

“We need to be really patient with him. I think that the worst thing we could do right now is put him in a box or judge him for where he is. And the best thing we can do is just each day, look for a little bit better.”

Curtis is a refined and polished passer for a true freshman recruit. His accuracy is pinpoint, his mechanics are smooth, and he challenges at all levels of the field. But Curtis still needs time to adjust to Tim Beck’s offense. Even though he carried the ball 88 times for 637 yards in high school in 2024 and did it for 534 yards in 2023, the SEC’s grueling defenses are a different beast. At 6’3.5″ and 225 lbs, Curtis has the frame to be physical; all he needs is experience.

However, in addition to Berlowitz, Curtis is also facing competition from junior QB Whit Muschamp and sophomore Jack Elliott for the QB1 position. Muschamps even came to Vandy “knowing I was going to have a chance at the job,” and that makes things more tricky for now, at least for Curtis’ QB1 spot.