Arkansas likely to see freshman QB when it faces Vanderbilt

When Arkansas football faces Vanderbilt this SEC season, the Razorbacks are likely to go up against one of the highest-rated 2026 recruits in America. Jared Curtis was a prize recruit at football's most important position. He had previously committed to Georgia and Kirby Smart, but Clark Lea and Vandy found a way to flip him. 247Sports took a closer look at Vanderbilt's quarterback situation:

"Clark Lea has not named a starter, and that decision likely won't come until fall camp. For now, the focus is on evaluation. He wants to give each quarterback a fair opportunity to prove they can lead the offense. 

"I think they've all had flashes of performance, and I think they all bring to the table things that can help us win," Lea said. "But we need to take the time to make sure we've seen this super clearly so that we best position our team to have success." Still, one name continues to stand out: Jared Curtis.

"In Vanderbilt's spring game, the five-star freshman looked, at times, like exactly what his recruiting profile promised, and at others, like a player still adjusting to the college level. But even in those learning moments, Curtis made plays. He showcased arm strength and accuracy, moved comfortably within the pocket and demonstrated an ability to escape pressure and extend plays downfield. He led multiple scoring drives and, perhaps most importantly, protected the football.

"You see physical elements of his game that are unique to him as a human being," Lea said. "His potential for explosive plays, the way he can evade rush, the way he can find receivers down the field, the look that his ball has coming out of his hand. There's a lot there that we saw in the evaluation."

"At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Curtis has the tangibles that are difficult to develop and impossible to ignore. The gap remains with the things that just take time. Curtis is still learning the system. He is still adjusting to the speed of the game. And more than anything, he is still developing the mental side of the position, which is something Lea emphasized as the next step in his growth.

"From a physical trait standpoint, he's there," Lea said. "From a mental processing standpoint, that's where we've got to cover ground."

It could be the case that Jared Curtis will bring enormous upside to the quarterback spot for Vanderbilt this year, including the Arkansas game. However, most freshmen need time to adjust to the speed of the college game after playing in high school. The hope for Arkansas is that Jared Curtis will need the full season to eventually feel comfortable playing college football. The Arkansas-Vanderbilt game is on October 17, in the middle of the season. It's anyone's guess if Jared Curtis will be ready to play polished, precise football by then. The Hogs hope the ballyhooed recruit will still be going through growing pains.