From Newsweek · Rowan Fisher-Shotton · · 1m 30s
Vanderbilt hands the keys to a 19-year-old
Two games in, Clark Lea benched his senior starter for the freshman he stole from Georgia.
In brief
Two games in, Clark Lea benched his senior starter for the freshman he stole from Georgia. Vanderbilt's post-Pavia plan was never the senior stopgap. It was Jared Curtis, and the timeline just accelerated. Originally reported by Newsweek.
Best season ever, then what
Vanderbilt just finished its first 10-win year and cracked the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2013. Diego Pavia went Heisman runner-up and Clark Lea won SEC Coach of the Year twice running.
The senior held the job briefly
Blaze Berlowitz started the first two games and the Commodores won both, 28-9 over Austin Peay and 35-26 over Delaware. The wins came anyway.
A freshman won the Delaware game
Curtis rotated in on snaps early, then took over late in the first quarter against Delaware after Berlowitz stalled out. He ran the offense the rest of the way.
“But it wasn't Berlowitz who won them that Delaware game, it was true freshman Jared Curtis.”
The stat line that ended it
Curtis went 14 of 22 for 210 yards, one passing touchdown, zero interceptions, plus two rushing scores. Pete Thamel reported Tuesday that he starts Saturday against NC State.
Vanderbilt flipped him from Georgia
Curtis was the No. 2 quarterback in the 2026 class and the fourth overall recruit nationally. He committed to the Bulldogs in May 2025, then switched to Vanderbilt that December.
NC State is no warmup
The Wolfpack just beat Richmond 73-0 and upset Virginia, Georgia Tech, Florida State, North Carolina and Memphis last season. Kickoff is 12:45 p.m. ET in Nashville, Vandy favored by 3.5.
In short
Vanderbilt's post-Pavia plan was never the senior stopgap. It was Jared Curtis, and the timeline just accelerated.
