Vanderbilt Football Top 20 Player Rankings: No. 9

Vanderbilt football's biggest name lands at No. 9 on the list, but has potential to move up easily in year one.

Vanderbilt University freshman quarterback Jared Curtis (2) throws in practice at Vanderbilt University’s McGugin Center practice fields Tuesday, March 31, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

NASHVILLE—Vanderbilt football is in a new era under head coach Clark Lea as it moves forward after a program-best 10-3 season, but does so while replacing star quarterback Diego Pavia and star tight end Eli Stowers.

Lea and company believe that the program can move forward as winners, though, and the amount of experience they bring back is at the forefront of the reasons why. 

Lea has the 34th most experienced offense in the country, the No. 4 defense in the country, is No. 2 in game experience in the country and No. 12 in returning starts. 

“Just in terms of quality depth, I mean, this is probably the best team we've had,” Lea told Vandy on SI. “Obviously, we have some big gaps to fill, and some of those gaps were our production leaders from a year ago, but I like this team. 
I like where we are.” 

This Vanderbilt team doesn’t appear to have the elite names at the top of the roster that Lea’s 2025 team did, but he believes he’s got a capable group at every level. 

In Vandy on SI’s top 20 players list, all three phases will be represented, as well as every offensive and defensive position group. 

No. 9: Jared Curtis 

Vanderbilt University freshman quarterback Jared Curtis (2) participates in a drill in practice at Vanderbilt University’s McGugin Center practice fields Tuesday, March 31, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Curtis is the biggest name on this Vanderbilt team and the player with the highest ceiling on the roster. Just listen to the way Lea raves about his skillset.

“He’s so natural in the way he sits in the pocket and he releases the ball,” Lea told Vandy on SI. “The release is really quick and the ball, the way it spins in the velocity, I mean those things stand out. I haven’t seen that kind of explosive release and the ball flight since playing with Jay Cutler.”

Lea also compares Curtis’ throws from unorthodox arm angles to NFL MVP Matthew Stafford. Those throws are an indicator that Curtis is as talented as any quarterback Vanderbilt has had since Cutler. 

Curtis is talented enough to be a top 10 player on a team without ever taking a snap. He’s that talented. He’s that gifted of a thrower. 

On paper, Curtis is the full package in terms of the throws he can make and his ability to run. Lea doesn’t expect him to be Diego Pavia right away, but he appears to believe he’s got the right guy to lead his program forward. 

“He’s the best prospect in the country,” Lea declared on signing day as if it was a given. “He's a young player still, we have a ton of belief in his potential, and we're going to need to be patient with his development as he transitions, but I just appreciate his belief in what we're doing. I appreciate his strength of personality in making a decision.” 

Why No. 9? 

If all goes well for Curtis, he’ll be No. 1 on the list this time a year from now. For now, though, he still hasn’t played a snap and still has to work through freshman growing pains. 

“He believes in himself, he has courage, he has the physical traits to get himself out of trouble,” Lea said. “I think from the physical trade standpoint, he's there. From the mental processing standpoint, that's where we got to cover ground, and that's where we focused. And for me, that is both his process, pre snap and post snap, the creative elements will be there, and they'll be dynamic, but, he has to consistently own the operation.”

Curtis made a number of flash throws in the spring, but still has to prove himself before shooting up the list.

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