Volunteer Country

Elite 2026 QB Jared Curtis Makes Early Recruitment Cut

2026 four-star quarterback Jared Curtis (Nashville, Tennessee) is the No. 2 prospect in America and has cut down his recruitment, including the in-state Tennessee Volunteers.

Evan Crowell

Elite 2026 QB Jared Curtis Makes Early Recruitment Cut
Elite 2026 QB Jared Curtis Makes Early Recruitment Cut /
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The University of Tennessee will recruit elite quarterback prospects for as long as they employ head coach Josh Heupel. The offensive culture they've cultivated over the first two seasons of his tenure is conducive to efficient, professional numbers that give signal-callers a fast track to the NFL level. Heupel already signed five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava in 2023, but he has more names on the radar.

One of his early favorites is 2026 Nashville Christian passer Jared Curtis. 247Sports recently touted Curtis as the No. 2 overall prospect in 2026, behind USC quarterback commit Julian Lewis. With Lewis already off the board, many elite programs could shift their focus toward Curtis. As a freshman, he was the runner-up for Tennessee's "Mr. Football" Award - the kid can play. His sophomore season is in full focus, but Curtis took time to cut his recruitment down before he got further into his high school career.

Curtis will focus on Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas A&M moving forward. The coveted sophomore made stops at Alabama, Florida State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas A&M this summer, and two SEC foes have made early impressions. The Crimson Tide and Tennessee are locked in an early battle here, with the Vols fighting to keep another elite in-state quarterback close to home.

The city of Nashville currently has some elite quarterbacks. The 2025 graduating class alone holds George MacIntyre and Deuce Knight, two players who could end up with consensus five-star status by the time their high school careers are over. There are loads of Power-5 quarterbacks in the area that Tennessee isn't even recruiting - you'd be hard-pressed to find a city with better quarterback play in America. Curtis may end up being the best passer out of everyone in Nashville.

He accounted for 34 touchdowns last year, one of the highest marks in the state. Nashville Christian is off to a rocky start, beginning the 2023 season 0-3. However, they faced similar hardship to start 2022 before rattling off several wins and finishing 10-3. Curtis played a large part in that turnaround; during a nine-game midseason winning streak last year, he accounted for 30 total touchdowns and five turnovers. There's a long road before this recruitment comes into focus, but it's one many will be monitoring.

2026 4-star QB Jared Curtis making a move on an incoming rusher on December 1st, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by George Walker IV of The Tennessean)

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Evan Crowell
EVAN CROWELL

Evan Crowell is the lead publisher of Sports Illustrated-FanNation's Volunteer Country, serving as a beat reporter covering football, basketball, and recruiting. He previously worked as the lead publisher of Sports Illustrated-FanNation's Gamecocks Digest.

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