When you're a top high school quarterback with a future in college football, your NIL deals usually involve energy drinks or local car dealerships. For Jared Curtis, his first major NIL opportunity came with a twist: a cameo role in a Hollywood movie.

The Vanderbilt quarterback recruit landed a spot in Nashville comedian Nate Bargatze's new film, "The Breadwinner," set for release at the end of May. In his scene, Curtis—wearing a Vanderbilt cap—is shopping for a new car, a fitting role for an athlete whose future rides on making big decisions.

The connection between Curtis and Bargatze was forged in the spotlight of college football's biggest pregame show. Bargatze, a die-hard Vanderbilt fan, served as the guest picker on ESPN's College GameDay when the show visited Vanderbilt's campus during the 2025 season, ahead of the Commodores' game against Missouri. That appearance put Bargatze's passion for the program on full display.

At the time, Curtis was still navigating his own recruiting drama. As a senior at Nashville Christian, he was torn between Georgia, where he had committed, and Vanderbilt, which was making a strong push to land him as the successor to Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia. The Commodores' persistence paid off, and Curtis eventually flipped his commitment to stay home in Nashville.

Now, before he's even taken a snap as a Vanderbilt quarterback, Curtis has already made his mark on the big screen—proving that in the NIL era, athletes can write their own stories both on and off the field.