Bryce Underwood’s recruitment was a straightforward Dark Knight drama with flash and intrigue. But Jared Curtis’ saga? Pure Gone Girl—filled with twists, turns, and disappearances galore. Since pulling his Georgia commitment last October, saying he’d “take some more time to explore all my options,” Curtis has kept everyone guessing. Now, he might finally decide between Oregon and Georgia as his final destination, with the decision just 24 hours away. Before his May 5th announcement, he was supposed to meet with both schools’ offensive coordinators one last time. However, just when folks thought they had it figured out, a surprise twist left experts baffled.

We all knew that Mike Bobo and Will Stein were expected to visit with the nation’s No. 1 quarterback, Jared Curtis, before his commitment, but then Curtis cancelled his final visits with both Georgia and Oregon. This cancellation of in-home visits with both programs by the No. 2 recruit nationally and the No. 1 prospect in Tennessee created a sense of mystery. Yet, he did mention his strong bond with Georgia’s OC: “I’ve built a relationship with Coach (Mike) Bobo and Coach Smart,” Jared confessed regarding Georgia, but he’s also high on Oregon: “Me and Coach (Will) Stein’s relationship is really good.” That’s right; we’re still looking at a two-horse race.

Well, here’s the kicker: the in-home visits happened after all. On3 Recruits’ Josh Newberg reports with an interesting update on Jared Curtis’s recruitment soap opera: “One of the biggest developments of this week was the final face-to-face meetings with both coaching staffs—both UGA and Oregon. Will Stein and Mike Bobo went in-home Tuesday and Wednesday to meet with Jared Curtis one last time face to face. The last face-to-face meeting. But I would assume he’s still fielding phone calls and texts.” Now, that’s sure turning heads. But then Curtis still isn’t sure about his final commitment. As “his mother Barbara told Steve Wilfong over the weekend, Jared is still undecided between Georgia or Oregon. Those are the finalists.”

Let’s just hope this in-home visit ahead of his commitment might have helped Jared Curtis to make a clear decision. But for now, Newberg is putting his bet on Georgia, as he was already committed to them before exploring other options. “Now, he’s been to Georgia a bunch. He has relationships with that staff. I’m not counting out the Dawgs. Heck, I might be leaning toward the Dawgs, as we’re less than 24 hours away. I mean, Athens is very close to home,” Josh Newberg said.

Georgia’s lack of a 2026 quarterback commitment makes Jared Curtis a prime target. A dual-threat QB, Curtis throws lasers and runs over defenders. His junior season saw him complete 179 of 255 passes for 2,830 yards, 40 touchdowns, and only 3 interceptions. He also rushed for 637 yards and 18 touchdowns on 88 carries, leading his 12-1 Nashville Christian team in both categories.

Now, Jared Curtis capped the year by leading them to the TSSAA Division II-A state title, then swept the awards, earning Tennessee Titans DII-A Mr. Football and Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year honors. His skills, statistics, and accolades all point to college readiness, and Kirby Smart loves such players. Further signaling Georgia, Curtis was spotted a month prior driving a shiny new red Corvette in the Bulldogs color, prompting Newberg’s intriguing thought: “What about that red Corvette? I’m always thinking about that.” But let’s not count Oregon out of the race yet.

Jared Curtis’ inclination towards Oregon

Look, it’s no secret that the Oregon Ducks have a history of developing the nation’s top QBs. Just look at the long list with names like Marcus Mariota, Justin Herbert, Bo Nix, and Dillon Gabriel. And on top of that, not only is his relationship strong with the team’s coaching staff, but even his family has close ties with them. “The relationship with me and Coach Stein,” Curtis explained. “My mom and dad really like it up here. 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.” Curtis believes Dan Lanning and Stein can get the best out of him.

Now, another interesting thing is that Jared Curtis is projected to earn a $2.7 million NIL, and we all know the Ducks’ connection with Nike’s Phil Knight. So, if NIL plays its cards right, Curtis might go straight to Dan Lanning’s program. But it sounds like neither Georgia nor Oregon was ready to pony up the big bucks for Jared. His agent made it clear in a DawgNation interview that neither school put their biggest offer on the table, so for now, Jared’s focused on what really matters instead of just chasing the NIL money.

“It’s pretty simple. If Jared was chasing the best compensation package, this may have been over a long time ago. These schools may not have even been in the finals. His interest in Georgia and Oregon, and really the difficulty in this decision, has been motivated by the relationships he’s developed during the recruiting process and the unique opportunities both programs provide. We won’t even know what this complete financial framework looks like until after he commits to a university,” said his agent, Peter Webb.

For Jared Curtis, the game is what matters the most. “He’s a kid who loves ball,” Peter Webb said. “He loves his family and just wants to go to a school that’s going to give him the opportunity to be a great teammate, get a great education, and reach his dreams of playing at the highest level, and I think that’s been lost in the NIL world.” Oregon’s got the family angle locked down for now. Let’s see if he sticks with his old Georgia crew or tries something new with his final call.