Georgia’s modus operandi under Kirby Smart has unequivocally been defense. His coaching acumen on that side of the football, in tandem with his prowess on the recruiting front, is what has made the Bulldogs a dynastic program. The gold standard of College football over the past decade. But it takes two to tango. A relatively poor season offensively showed they needed to breathe some freshness on that side. So Coach Smart, who’s found success and won hardware with somewhat limited QBs like Stetson Bennett in the past, has just gone out and gotten himself the top-rated signal caller in his entire class. Jared Curtis’ imminent arrival in Athens marks a return of the 5-star quarterback to UGA. But it has also spawned caution from an alum about the direct predecessor in this lineage.
Jared Curtis is Georgia’s first 5-star QB recruit since a certain Justin Fields. You can sense the PTSD flare a little upon hearing that name among those of a Bulldogs persuasion. His eminence from the collegiate level not translating to the NFL may fool a couple of uninitiated readers. But Fields was a damn-near 6-star prospect out of high school. Georgia was just coming off their first national championship of the Kirby Smart era and added him to their class of ‘18. However, things didn’t quite work out for Justin Fields in red and black. After merely one season as a backup, struggling to displace Jake Fromm, he transferred to Ohio State. Where he’d wind up becoming a bonafide legend. Which segues into said Georgia alum’s warning for, and about, Curtis.
The day that Curtis officialized his commitment to Georgia, David Pollack was hosting OC Mike Bobo at his charity golf classic. Coach Bobo is, by Curtis’ own admission, the driving force that pulled him to Athens. Speaking over his YouTube channel, Pollack said, “Mike Bobo was on the tee and [his] comment was, ‘Today will determine the rest of my spring!’” Well, he sure will be jubilant Jared Curtis decided to pick his offensive and developmental enterprise over the competition. David Pollack proceeded to delve into Jared Curtis, the player, and what he brings to Athens. “I’ve heard a lot about this kid. And listen, it’s recruiting. You always hear what you want to hear from coaches a lot of times. But he sounds like the real deal. I mean, he sounds like he’s supposed to be Mr. do-it-all,” said Pollack.
It’s this do-it-all nature, particularly Curtis’ athleticism and mobility in and out of the backfield, that drew the comparison to the aforementioned Justin Fields. “If you go through the list of five-stars…the one that Kirby [Smart] hit out of the park, that everybody loved, that was finally mobile, was Justin Fields. And Justin didn’t get it done. You can say what you want. [But] he couldn’t beat out Jake Fromm. Ohio State’s offense was different. They used his athletic ability [and] made it easier on him. And he looked a lot better,” remarked David Pollack.
The reason Fields didn’t work out at Georgia wasn’t a case of talent or application. It was a case of not having coaching and a system that suited him. Now, Mike Bobo wasn’t around then. But the fact remains that Georgia doesn’t have a track record of being a happy hunting ground for a QB of Jared Curtis’ archetype. Their offenses have been more a sum of its collective parts. With the winning culture and that imperious defense raising the tide and the offense with it. A microcosm of this conversation lies in how Georgia has been a conveyor belt of talent for the NFL across positions. Yet, that hasn’t been the case with quarterbacks. This represents a new dynamic and direction for Kirby Smart’s program. At least in about 8 years, since Justin Fields.
There’s no reason to suggest it won’t work. But there’s no guarantee it will, either. Alas, since we’re hypothesizing how Jared Curtis’ future with Georgia pans out, here’s another wrinkle. Him picking them over a school with a much more potent track record of developing QBs over recent seasons. A school that has a special magnetic allure to it on the NIL front.
Kirby Smart & Georgia managed to lure Jared Curtis despite the odds being stacked against them
Oregon’s been making noise over on the Pacific Coast ever since they hired Kirby Smart’s protégé, Dan Lanning. Conceded, the ex-Georgia staffer is a top-end recruiter. But recruiting in this era is no more about whether you praised the cooking of a kid’s mother during a visit. It’s a more arbitrary equation about 0s at the end of your NIL check. And Oregon is backed by someone who can facilitate them 0s better than most.
Being located in Nike’s backyard has fanned the flames of the school’s revolution in terms of athletics. Those pretty jerseys were a pull, but Phil Knight’s very deep pockets make the Ducks uber-attractive. Plus, they’ve developed quarterbacks well historically. Marcus Mariota, Justin Herbert, Bo Nix. The proof is in the pudding. Oregon was the only other school in the reckoning for Jared Curtis. But they finished as runner-ups in his sweepstakes. Which is fascinating, given all of this context.
The truth is, Kirby Smart and Georgia have Mike Bobo to thank. It’s worth reiterating how he was the driving factor behind Jared Curtis’ decision. Curtis has preached this himself throughout his recruitment process. Now, it’s up to Mike Bobo to reciprocate the trust bestowed upon him. He hasn’t had a QB with a repertoire of tools as expansive and sharp in a minute. Nor have Georgia. Class of ‘26 rep Curtis’ degree of success in Athens shall dictate how the nation’s best quarterbacks view them for years to come. This is their first No. 1-ranked QB since the George Bush administration. Doubt they’d wanna go that long till their next one!
The post Georgia Legend Warns Jared Curtis About Kirby Smart’s History With 5-Star QBs After Turning Down Unlimited NIL Backing appeared first on EssentiallySports.
