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Jared Curtis is out for Vanderbilt’s game against No. 2 Georgia after being ruled out with an undisclosed injury. The freshman quarterback had been listed as questionable throughout the week and was still expected to get a final evaluation before kickoff.
Curtis was limited in practice during the week but completed Friday’s walkthrough. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Curtis would try to play and that the final decision would come after his pregame evaluation in Athens. He was ultimately ruled out before the game.
The injury dates back to Vanderbilt’s loss to Auburn on September 26. Head coach Clark Lea has not identified the injured body part.
“I don’t want to go into detail because I don’t have to, but it stemmed from a play in the Auburn game, a singular play that created the issue,” Lea said.
Lea also said the problem was not expected to keep Curtis out for a long time.
“It’s not something that is long term, but it’s something that is challenging. … The good news is he’s improved every day,” Lea said.
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Why Jared Curtis’ absence matters against Georgia
The timing of Curtis’ injury is crucial because Vanderbilt is facing Georgia in Athens. The Commodores entered the game after their loss to Auburn, while Georgia ranked No. 2.
Curtis was one of the biggest recruiting additions in Vanderbilt history. The five-star freshman had previously been committed to Georgia before flipping to Vanderbilt in December. That made Saturday’s matchup particularly notable, as Curtis was set to face the program he had once planned to join.
Through Vanderbilt’s first four games, Curtis had completed four touchdowns and three interceptions.
He had taken over as Vanderbilt’s starting quarterback after the team opened the season using both Curtis and Blaze Berlowitz.
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Blaze Berlowitz steps in for Vanderbilt
With Curtis unavailable, Blaze Berlowitz takes over at quarterback for Vanderbilt.
Berlowitz was not simply a backup who had been moved away from the quarterback position. He was Vanderbilt’s starting quarterback for the opening game and continued to share the position with Curtis early in the season.
Vanderbilt started the season by giving both quarterbacks playing time against Austin Peay.
Curtis then became the team’s starting quarterback in the following weeks. By the time Vanderbilt reached the Georgia game, Berlowitz was back in the starting role because of Curtis’ injury.
The Commodores now have to face Georgia without their freshman starter, while Curtis’ return will depend on how he responds to the injury in the coming days.
