Don't Count Blaze Berlowitz Out of Vanderbilt Football's Quarterback Competition, Blaze Berlowitz Says
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NASHVILLE—Blaze Berlowitz has heard it all, all the talk that he’s simply a victim in Vanderbilt’s recruitment of five-star freshman quarterback Jared Curtis and that he’s never had a chance to be its starting quarterback.
To that, he says…
“If everyone’s against me,” Berlowitz wrote in an Instagram caption on Thursday, “Everyone gon lose.”
The post doesn’t appear to be a jab at Curtis or Vanderbilt’s coaching staff as a whole, but it’s Berlowitz first words since Vanderbilt’s fall camp opened in early August. And, it’s Berlowitz’ declaration that he’s not dead yet in a competition that the public has assumed he’s the second fiddle in.
And, give Berlowitz credit, he’s made sure that this is still a competition.
It wouldn’t have been if Berlowitz continued to be the quarterback that he was in Vanderbilt’s 2025 fall camp or for stretches of its spring practice slate, but he’s not the same quarterback that he was then. Berlowitz has improved significantly enough to where Curtis hasn’t separated from him. The argument could be made that Berlowitz has put together a better camp than Curtis and could win the job if the criteria for it solely revolves around which quarterback gives Vanderbilt more of a chance to win on September 5 against Austin Peay.
Berlowitz’ past indicated that he was too untrustworthy a decision maker to be considered for Vanderbilt’s starting job, but he’s done significant work to rectify that. Outside of a sloppy day or two early in camp, Berlowitz hasn’t hit linebackers in the chest often, hasn’t put the ball on the ground often and has looked like the game manager that some questioned if he’d ever be.
Among Vanderbilt’s two options at quarterback, Berlowitz has a case to be considered the steadier option. The drives he leads don’t quite have the same explosive potential as the ones Curtis leads, but Berlowitz could protect the ball, get Vanderbilt in and out of its operation and playmake–which Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea says are the three criteria for the competition–enough to be the first quarterback on the field for Vanderbilt in 2026. He knows it, too.
“The dude is attacking the work,” Vanderbilt tight end Cole Spence said on the first day of Vanderbilt’s fall camp. “He’s been all about it all summer, he’s been locked in and he’s a great leader that’s been doing really well.”
The argument against Berlowitz, though, is just as strong and is more compelling. It hinges on the idea that Berlowitz has been in offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s system for three seasons and hasn’t truly separated from Curtis despite having dramatically more experience. Berlowitz and Curtis are relatively neck-and-neck these days, but those around and within Vanderbilt’s program believe Curtis is the quarterback of the future. Playing him early and letting him work through mistakes could be the best path forward for his development, and thus the development of the program.
With Curtis, Vanderbilt has a more explosive offense than it would with Berlowitz and probably has an easier path to consistently putting up 30+ points on any given day. It will hit some explosives, put pressure on the second and third levels of the defense and be more apt to play from behind. It also appears to be more mistake prone and could have a smaller playbook to operate under. The argument could be made that Berlowitz gives it the best chance to beat Austin Peay, but Curtis is inarguably its best long-term option.
Vanderbilt’s ceiling is unquestionably higher with Curtis than it is with Berlowitz, and that’s evidenced in practice almost every day. Curtis can make throws that nobody else on Vanderbilt’s roster can, and he does somewhat often. When he’s got it going, Curtis looks like an NFL quarterback. That’s not to mention the follow the money position battle principle, which clearly favors Curtis.
But, Berlowitz isn't showing any signs of going away. He's a competitor and clearly has a chip on his shoulder.
Both Vanderbilt quarterbacks have gotten better throughout camp and made their cases, but neither has blown the other out of the water. At this point, it’s unlikely that either will. Barring one performing markedly better in Saturday’s scrimmage, not much is going to change the rest of the way with either candidate. Vanderbilt has the information it needs to make a decision. Now, it just needs to make it.
Could Berlowitz’ post be a hint in regard to where this is all heading? Maybe, but it’s more of an indicator that he feels he hasn’t been given justice externally and that he’s pushing back against the perception surrounding him. Berlowitz hasn’t spoken to the media since the spring, but it appears as if he has a message to get out to anyone who will listen.
“Yes,” a picture posted by Berlowitz reads, “You are all wrong.”
“The critics say…,” Another picture read, “The critics can go f*** themselves.”
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Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Basket Under Review and Mainstreet Nashville.
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