# Vanderbilt names Jared Curtis starting quarterback

> Clark Lea ends the two-QB experiment after Curtis led all scoring drives against Delaware.
- Title: Vanderbilt names Jared Curtis starting quarterback | Shortify
- Summary: Clark Lea ends the two-QB experiment after Curtis led all scoring drives against Delaware. Five-star freshman Jared Curtis won Vanderbilt's starting QB job…
- Keywords: jared curtis, clark lea, vanderbilt commodores, college football, quarterback competition, blaze berlowitz, delaware game, nc state, nashville, five-star recruit, sec, sports
- Source: Vanderbilt Commodores — https://si.com/college/vanderbilt/football/why-clark-lea-decided-to-name-jared-curtis-as-vanderbilt-football-s-quarterback-now
- Published: 2026-09-15T20:45:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: jared curtis, clark lea, vanderbilt commodores, college football, quarterback competition, blaze berlowitz, delaware game, nc state, nashville, five-star recruit, sec, sports
## Two quarterbacks, one decision looming
A week ago, Clark Lea announced Vanderbilt would play both Blaze Berlowitz and Jared Curtis. He knew a breaking point would come, but it wasn't time yet.
## Saturday brought clarity
Curtis played most of the Delaware game and led Vanderbilt on all its scoring drives. The murkiness around the quarterback situation disappeared.
## Curtis named the starter
Lea announced the five-star hometown freshman is Vanderbilt's starting quarterback going forward. The months-long competition is over.

> I think what we have clarity on now is this gives us the best chance to win.
## Ready for the moment now
Lea emphasized Curtis isn't just a long-term prospect. His Saturday performance proved he's prepared to lead the offense immediately.
## No single moment decided it
Lea didn't point to one play that settled the competition. Instead, several moments from the Delaware game added up to the final decision.
## Overcoming early chaos
Curtis's first drive was operationally sloppy with penalties and mistakes. He overcame it all and scored his first career college touchdown on a rushing play.
## Growing more comfortable
The deeper into the game it got, the more settled Curtis looked. He didn't panic during tense moments and kept Vanderbilt off upset alert.
## Consistency the offense needed
Curtis playing the entire second half gave Vanderbilt offensive consistency that wasn't there in the first six quarters of the season.
## Running two different offenses
Berlowitz's experience helped with organization, but different play calling for each quarterback meant Vanderbilt was essentially running two offenses.

> Felt like that first week, it was a tale of two offenses.
## The game slowed down
Lea saw Curtis settle in and take command. In the second half especially, he showed real control over the offense.
## Creating the separation
Curtis gave coaches what they were waiting for. He willed the team to score despite mistakes, made NFL-caliber throws, and established consistency.
## One quarterback, one offense
This is Curtis's team now. There's no two-quarterback plan for NC State on Saturday. Vanderbilt can finally find its offensive identity.
## Time to let it rip
Lea praised Curtis's fearless style and expressed confidence he'll keep building. The decision is made, and now they're ready to go all in.

> I've got clarity and I came out of Saturday with clarity and that feels good. So this is how we're organizing and now we're going to let it rip.
## Key takeaway

Five-star freshman Jared Curtis won Vanderbilt's starting QB job by showing composure under pressure and creating offensive consistency.