Vanderbilt freshman quarterback Jared Curtis will make his first career start Saturday against NC State, head coach Clark Lea announced Tuesday, according to 247Sports' Chris Lee.
Curtis is a five-star recruit and was the No. 2-ranked quarterback in the 2026 class, according to the ESPN 300.
The 19-year-old was named Blaze Berlowitz's backup to start the season. However, Berlowitz struggled in two starts and completed just three passes for 29 yards in the first half of last week's game against Delaware.
Curtis came off the bench in the second half and helped lead Vanderbilt to a 35-26 victory. The true freshman completed 14 of 22 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown and added two rushing scores.
"Another thing that showed up was his leadership on Saturday. ... I think they emerged as he got comfortable on the field," Lea said of his young signal-caller's performance.
Curtis, a Nashville native, initially committed to Georgia before flipping his commitment to Vanderbilt in December 2025. After signing his letter of intent, Curtis became the highest-ranked recruit to join the program in school history.
The Commodores will look to improve to 3-0 on Saturday, with kickoff against NC State scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET.
