The One Who Got Away Is Coming Home Banged Up

GEORGIA MONEYBALL — Friday, October 2, 2026

Jared Curtis twice promised himself to Georgia, signed with Vanderbilt instead, and may yet limp into Athens for homecoming.

ALBANY, GA — · By the RFA Sports Desk

Every small town has a story about the fellow who got engaged twice to the same girl and then married somebody from out of state. Athens has Jared Curtis. Vanderbilt's freshman starting quarterback committed to Georgia twice before he signed with the Commodores. Now he's due back at Sanford Stadium for homecoming, of all the Saturdays on the calendar. Bulldogs On SI reported that Curtis is listed questionable after getting hurt in the 21-15 loss at Auburn. Clark Lea said the boy is banged up and hasn't been full-go in practice.

Kirby Smart has handled the breakup like a man who has been through a few of them. Asked about Curtis committing to Georgia twice, Smart told reporters, "No one's committed until they're signed," which is also what my Uncle Frank said about every waitress he ever proposed to. Smart called Curtis a "tremendous talent" and "way better athletically than people give him credit for." He said Vanderbilt arguably should've made the playoffs last year. In my experience, a coach saying kind things on a Monday is buttering the biscuit before he eats it.

A coach saying kind things on a Monday is buttering the biscuit before he eats it.

Lea has a plan, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution laid it out. He believes Vanderbilt can build a wall, make Georgia's runs hard, and push the Bulldogs into higher-leverage passing downs, provided the Commodores stay structured and play with intensity at the point of attack. That's a fine plan. Georgia averages 222.2 rushing yards a game, and Vanderbilt gives up 115.5, which is tenth in the SEC. The long runs have gotten longer, too. Open-field yards per carry went from 1.49 in 2023 to 2.81. A wall is only as good as the last man standing behind it.

Georgia brings its own sick list. The SEC's Thursday availability report has running back Nate Frazier questionable for a second straight week, along with receiver Isiah Canion and linebacker Chase Linton. Offensive lineman Marcus Harrison, linebacker Amaris Williams and defensive back Tyriq Green are out. So both sidelines will have some hobbling on Saturday. The difference is that Georgia has backups to its backups. The AJC made Georgia a 24.5-point favorite and picked the Bulldogs 38-13, so the paper apparently doesn't think the limping will be evenly shared.

The game people are still arguing about this week is Texas 20, Tennessee 17, and it matters in Athens. In Texas's first trip to Neyland Stadium, Colin Simmons tied the program record with five of the Longhorns' ten sacks, and Texas recovered an onside kick to hang on. That keeps Texas at No. 1 in the AP poll with Georgia second. ESPN's predictive metric puts the Bulldogs first, though, and Bill Connelly said Gunner Stockton's added explosiveness might be making Georgia the best team in the country. The two polls disagree, and that argument won't be settled this weekend.

The Notebook

• AMBULANCE IN THE COLISEUM: Oregon beat USC 41-27, but Heisman candidate Dante Moore left the field in an ambulance after a late hit on a slide. Backup Dylan Raiola threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns.
• BAD DAY FOR THE BIG TEN BLUEBLOODS: Iowa beat Michigan 20-19 on a touchdown on the last play. Unranked Wisconsin came back from 17-0 down to win 24-20 at Penn State, its first win in State College since 2003.
• NEXT SATURDAY NIGHT: Georgia plays at Alabama on Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. It's the Bulldogs' first night game of the season.

Written in the tradition of Lewis Grizzard, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1946–1994.

Hear the desk read tonights report on Radio Free Albany, WPFQ 96.7.