Jared Curtis vs Blaze Berlowitz, Vanderbilt QB competition update after scrimmage

Vanderbilt football coach Clark Lea still has not named a starting quarterback after the Commodores' second scrimmage at FirstBank Stadium on Aug. 22.

Lea said the staff will sit down over the next few days and evaluate where the situation stands. The team will take a day off Aug. 23 before evaluating film the next day. The Commodores are hoping to have a starting quarterback named internally by early next week.

Jared Curtis, the No. 2 quarterback recruit in the 2026 class and the first 5-star to ever commit to the Commodores, is battling with returner Blaze Berlowitz, who was Diego Pavia's backup over the past three years at New Mexico State and then at Vanderbilt.

"I see growth in Jared, I think Blaze continues to do things that he does well," Lea said. "We're going to have to look at the film and we're going to have a lot of conversations. I think in a situation where you're evaluating a freshman, you need to give it time, for his development, for the game to slow down."

Vanderbilt opens its season against Austin Peay on Sept. 5 (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+) at FirstBank Stadium.

Berlowitz was more consistent than Curtis at moving the ball in this scrimmage, but didn't finish drives. He had a handful of turnovers that ended promising drives, while Curtis was more often able to end drives in the end zone even though he had more three-and-outs.

Turnovers have been a problem for Berlowitz throughout the preseason, while Curtis' early turnover woes have improved.

Both quarterbacks have gotten reps with the first team throughout the preseason and the scrimmages.

After the scrimmage, Lea spoke on how he evaluated the performances of both quarterbacks.

"You're kind of watching (Curtis) operate the offense tonight," Lea said. "It felt like he was at his best for the longest. And Blaze, I think Blaze has had an excellent training camp. He's day in and day out been really consistent, and he does some things tactically with the offensive scheme around him that gives us a chance."

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Jared Curtis vs Blaze Berlowitz, Vanderbilt QB competition update after scrimmage