Georgia football already has a future face at QB. And his name is Jared Curtis. The 5-star QB out of Nashville isn’t just a top-tier talent with a cannon arm. He’s also about to bag a very lucrative deal with the Bulldogs. He’s not even in Athens yet, and he’s already working with a valuation that matches veterans. According to On3’s NIL rankings, he sits at No. 32 nationwide with a valuation of $1.8 million. But wait till you hear what he’s actually set to cash in once he hits campus. 

On July 23, Rivals.ig shared Jared Curtis’ Georgia deal on Instagram as reported by Pete Nakos. “Jared Curtis is set to bring in north of $750K in year one at Georgia💰” Yeah, three-quarters of a million dollars before he even throws a college pass. So what’s the catch?

There isn’t one. This is the new norm in the NIL era. And Jared Curtis is just the next big investment in a college arms race where 5-star QBs are valued like tech stocks. Now, his bag only gets bigger once he takes the reins in Athens. Sources indicate that once Jared Curtis becomes QB1, his NIL earnings could easily eclipse the current mark. And if Georgia’s recent QB factory is any indication, that won’t take long.

This is the same program that watched Carson Beck transfer to Miami, where reports say he could touch $6 million in the 2025 season. If his payday was the prototype, Curtis is the refined model ready to hit the market.

The 6’4, 225-pound HS star committed to Georgia back in May, snubbing a national list of suitors in a recruitment. He’s got size, vision, mobility, and leadership qualities that scream Sunday potential. He may still have his senior HS season ahead, but the Bulldogs are already treating him like royalty. After all, he’s just one of the two 5-stars in the Dawgs’ 2026 class, the other being TE Kaiden Prothro, with 30 commits and ranks second nationally. So, how did Georgia head coach Kirby Smart fare in this whole money deal? 

Is Jared Curtis a team-friendly steal for Kirby Smart?

Kirby Smart isn’t just recruiting talent; he’s doing it with financial finesse. For those wondering if Georgia had to break the bank for Jared Curtis, who’s the No. 1 QB in the 2026 class, think again. Compared to Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 QB in the 2025 class who’s headed to Michigan with a reported $2.65 million per year NIL deal, Georgia actually landed their QB on a discount. That $750,000 may be hefty, but compared to Underwood, it’s practically wholesale.

It’s no coincidence that Kirby Smart spoke with a loud voice during SEC Media Days this week. And his message was crystal clear. Georgia isn’t in this for quick wins; they’re building legacies because this portal era is challenging. “We sell relationships over transactions,” he told 247Sports. “We don’t believe in just being transactional because when you’re transactional, you cannot accomplish whatever your ultimate goal is. Whatever the ceiling is for every player and every team we have, you don’t reach that without relationships.” So, while others are throwing cash, Georgia’s building culture, although it may be less flashy. And in Jared Curtis, they’re getting both a franchise QB and a bargain.

The plan is that Curtis signs the dotted line in December 2025 and starts raking it in at spring ball. And by 2026, he could be the highest-earning freshman quarterback in the SEC.