For the second straight season, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal has landed a quarterback from the transfer portal. Former Georgia starting quarterback Carson Beck is now with Miami, as the Hurricanes open the 2025 season at home against No. 6 Notre Dame on Sunday night.
Although Beck briefly declared for the 2025 NFL Draft in December of 2024, he ultimately signed with Miami a few weeks later. Canes fans are hopeful that Beck, one of the top-rated transfer portal players for 2025 per 247Sports, can finally lead Miami to a playoff bid.
Here's a look back at Beck's decision to leave Georgia and ultimately transfer to Miami.
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Why did Carson Beck transfer to Miami?
Beck had a disappointing end to his 2024 season in Athens. He suffered an elbow injury during Georgia's SEC Championship game against Texas, which kept him out for the remainder of the season and the College Football Playoff. He had surgery to repair his UCL on Dec. 23 and declared for the 2025 NFL Draft five days later. Beck threw a career-high 12 interceptions in 2024, leading the SEC.
Beck's status as a future 2025 NFL quarterback didn't last long. On Jan. 10, he signed with Miami for his fifth and final season of eligibility. Beck is expected to earn $4 million in 2025 from NIL deals, according to CBS Sports. During ACC Media Days in July, Beck further detailed his decision to head to Miami.
"Yeah, I think the biggest thing for me, obviously, was the offensive fit," Beck said via UGA Wire. "As a quarterback, the OC, the scheme, the talent and guys that you're going to have around you is huge to the success and ultimately the future of a quarterback."
Beck will be playing under Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, who helped Cam Ward have a career year in Coral Gables in 2024. Although Miami missed out on both the 2025 CFP and ACC title game, Ward threw for a career high 4,313 yards with 39 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He was drafted No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2025 draft.
"This is my future, and I think this is one of the better decisions I've made," Beck continued. "And since I've been here in January, developing the relationships and building the chemistry between me, the wide receivers, the running backs, the tight ends, the O-line, and just trying to develop those relationships and that camaraderie, it's just reinforced my decision in a positive way."
Miami ranks first overall in ESPN SP+ offensive ratings heading into 2025 and returns several starters along the offensive line. If Beck can have a better season than 2024, he could see his NFL draft stock soar.
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Carson Beck stats
Here's a look at Carson Beck's stats at Georgia.
| Season | Team | G | Comp% | Yds | TD | Int |
| 2020 | Georgia | 1 | -- | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | Georgia | 4 | 43.5 | 176 | 2 | 2 |
| 2022 | Georgia | 7 | 74.3 | 310 | 4 | 0 |
| 2023 | Georgia | 14 | 72.4 | 3941 | 24 | 6 |
| 2024 | Georgia | 13 | 64.7 | 3485 | 28 | 12 |
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Carson Beck NFL draft projection
How Beck does during his final collegiate season will largely determine his draft stock for 2026. According to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, Beck's stock for 2025 dipped significantly, even before his injury. One of the best projections Beck had last offseason had him "maybe" going late on the second day of the draft, with most putting him as a Day Three pick.
"The injury muddied everything up," an NFL scout told Zenitz. "With NIL, he can make money and gain more experience."
With a lot of his 2026 draft stock riding on how he does in 2025, most early quarterback mocks from the likes of ESPN and SB Nation don't include Beck in the first round. If he has a big showing on Sunday night against Notre Dame and the rest of the season, that could change in a hurry.
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