Updates on top-50 national quarterback prospects Jared Curtis and Brady Smigiel
South Carolina is in the game for some of the very best quarterback prospects in the country in the class of 2026. 5-star Jared Curtis has been on the radar for some time, and more recently, Brady Smigiel has entered the picture.
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Curtis, a former Georgia commitment, consistently has included the Gamecocks on his top lists for a while, even through the team’s offensive coordinator/quarterback coach transition from Dowell Loggains to Mike Shula. The Nashville Christian product is On3’s top-rated quarterback in the ’26 cycle, No. 1 prospect in Tennessee, and No. 4 overall recruit in the class.
On Saturday, On3’s Hayes Fawcett reported that Curtis had scheduled an official visit to Columbia. He will be in town from June 20th to June 22nd. The trip won’t be his first to South Carolina, but official visits always make a bigger impression.
According to Fawcett’s report, Curtis also scheduled officials to Oregon and Georgia. Many have viewed the Ducks as Curtis’ favorite since the UGA decommitment. However, both Georgia and South Carolina have remained in the conversation. He is listening to pitches from Alabama, Auburn, and Ohio State, too.
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Mutual interest between South Carolina and Smigiel has emerged more recently. Though he remains committed to Florida State, Smigiel isn’t turning away other suitors. The Gamecocks officially offered the California native a couple of weeks ago.
On3’s industry ranking values Smigiel as the No. 48 player in the country and the No. 6 overall quarterback. He ranks as the No. 7 prospect, regardless of position, in talent-rich California. Darren Uscher, South Carolina’s director of player personnel and recruiting spent time on the west coast at UCLA and Oregon and had a previous relationship with Smigiel.
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This week, the talented young quarterback earned the Mr. Football award for the Golden State, something that hasn’t happened for an underclassman since 2015. He also received a visit from South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer. It is unclear how much USC will factor into things with Smigiel, but Beamer wouldn’t fly to California for no reason, either.
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The Gamecocks are still involved with other class of 2026 signal-callers, though, none are as highly-rated as Curtis or Smigiel.
No matter who ends up being South Carolina’s quarterback in the ’26 cycle (Curtis, Smigiel, someone else, or no one at all), fans can expect some movement in the not-too-distant future for most of the class’ top prospects. Quarterbacks typically commit earlier than other positions.
It is worth noting, that Carolina has three quarterbacks on the roster with at least four years of eligibility remaining. Air Noland and Dante Reno will be redshirt freshmen in 2025, and Cutter Woods is an incoming true freshman.
