One of Penn State’s newest Big Ten rival could steal the top quarterback in the country from an SEC powerhouse
By Josh Yourish
Jared Curtis is the No. 1 ranked quarterback in the 2026 recruiting class and he appears to be zeroing in on Oregon for the start of his college football career. The 6-foot-4 225-pound Nashville, Tennessee product had been committed to Georgia, but recently de-committed and could become a thorn in the side of the rest of the Big Ten if he does head to Eugene.
NEWS: Oregon is the Leader in Five-Star QB Jared Curtis’ recruitment, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 21, 2024
The No. 1 QB in 2026 is hoping to visit Oregon November 9th for the Maryland game
“My interest in Oregon is above the others right now.”https://t.co/NXUXhQf4lo pic.twitter.com/7G5iJHUCWZ
Curtis intends to visit Eugene for the Ducks game against Maryland on November 9, but the good news for Oregon’s new Big Ten rivals like Penn State is that the high school junior has not ruled the SEC out. Curtis still intends to visit Georgia again and is still drawing heavy interest from Auburn and Alabama.
By 247Sports composite rankings, Curtis is a consensus five-star and the No. 1 QB ahead of Tennessee commit Faizon Brandon from Greensboro North Carolina and Texas commit Dia Bell from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
If Oregon does land Curtis, it will be a significant step for Dan Lanning’s program. Lanning has relied on transfer quarterbacks across his three seasons in Eugene, first with Bo Nix who left Auburn, and this season with Dillon Gabriel who transferred from Oklahoma for his final year of eligibility. This past transfer portal cycle, Lanning and offensive coordinator Will Stein also landed former five-star QB Dante Moore who left UCLA after his freshman season.
The three highest-rated committed quarterbacks in the 2026 recruiting class are all heading to the SEC, Brandon, Bell, and Oklahoma commit Jaden O’Neal. The highest-ranked Big Ten QB is four-star Michigan commit Brady Hart who is the No. 7 quarterback. Penn State’s 2026 quarterback Troy Huhn is ranked ninth in the QB class.
Lanning, the former Georgia defensive coordinator, is recruiting at an SEC level in Eugene with top 10 classes in 2023, 2024, and 2025, but if he can start plucking No. 1 QB recruits too, the Ducks could be a Big Ten juggernaut for years to come and will knock Penn State down another notch on the conference totem pole.
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