Sources: Vandy tabs Berlowitz QB1; 5-star Curtis to play in opener - ESPN

Vanderbilt senior Blaze Berlowitz will be the starting quarterback in the Commodores' Week 1 matchup with Austin Peay, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel on Tuesday.

The move follows an extended position battle across spring and fall camp between Berlowitz and five-star freshman Jared Curtis, who is the highest-rated signee in program history and is also expected to play in Vanderbilt's Sept. 5 season opener, the first of three nonconference games on the Commodores' schedule, which also includes September visits from Delaware and NC State.

Berlowitz, a dual-threat passer from Cushing, Oklahoma, is in his third season at Vanderbilt. He began his career at New Mexico State before following eventual Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia and offensive coordinator Tim Beck to the Commodores before the 2024 season. Berlowitz completed nine of his 17 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown in six appearances last fall.

The opener against Austin Peay (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network) will mark his first career start.

The occasion should also be the stage of Curtis' college debut. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound quarterback from Nashville signed late last fall as ESPN's No. 1 pocket passer and No. 12 overall prospect in the 2026 cycle, and arrived in January as the most coveted recruit in school history.

Curtis committed to Georgia twice during his recruiting process — first in March 2024, then again in May 2025 — before flipping his pledge to Vanderbilt on the eve of the early signing period last December. The Commodores accelerated their efforts to sway Curtis last October amidst the winningest season in program history, selling him the opportunity to stay home and to compete for early playing time as a potential Day 1 successor to Pavia.

Sixth-year coach