On Monday, after months of anticipation, high school quarterback prospect Jared Curtis committed to the University of Georgia over Oregon. The Ducks have a talented quarterback room, but none entered Autzen Stadium with the hype Curtis has surrounding him.
Curtis is the consensus No. 1 quarterback (No. 2 overall player) in the class of 2026. His 247Sports Composite rating of 0.9980 would have ranked third-best in program history, behind only edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (0.9987 in 2019) and receiver Dakorien Moore (0.9981 in 2025).
As a junior in 2024, Curtis won Tennessee’s Nashville Christian School the Division II-A state championship. He was named Tennessee’s Mr. Football and MaxPreps’ Tennessee Player of the Year after completing 179 of 255 passes for 2,830 yards and 40 touchdowns while throwing only three interceptions.
On3’s Charles Power called Curtis an “elite arm-talent with creative playmaking ability”, while 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins saw “elite pocket-passing abilities”, “slick athleticism” and “a powerful base” in the 6’4, 225-pound high schooler.
Curtis committed to Georgia in March 2024, but decommitted in October of that year in order to take further visits. He named Georgia and Oregon as his two finalists in February 2025 and made his official decision on Monday.
“Go Dawgs! Let’s roll,” Curtis said on Instagram following the decision.
This marks the latest in a series of recruiting losses for Oregon, who recently lost out on four-star receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (Ohio State) and four-star cornerback Elbert Hill (USC).
However, plenty of big fish remain. The nation’s No. 1 overall prospect, offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, will decide between Oregon, Georgia, Ohio State and the University of Miami on May 13. Ryder Lyons, 247Sports’ No. 6 overall player and No. 3 quarterback, has also been linked to the Ducks, though the timeline for his decision is not known.
Thankfully, the Ducks currently have several options at quarterback. Dante Moore has three years of eligibility remaining, but has yet to be named the starter over fellow redshirt sophomore Austin Novosad. The Ducks also added a four-star passer last year in freshman Akili Smith Jr.
Oregon’s 2026 recruiting class now ranks No. 20 nationally according to 247Sports. However, Cantwell’s choice could soon change that number, and there’s plenty of time for further change before National Signing Day cements rosters on Feb. 4, 2026.
