Anonymous ACC coach questions if Carson Beck is worth NIL money he received

Miami shelled out a lot of money to bring in transfer quarterback Carson Beck this offseason. Beck comes to Miami after five seasons at Georgia, including the past two as the starter, and has an NIL valuation of $4.3 million according to On3.

But one anonymous ACC coach told Athlon Sports that they have questions on whether all that investment will pay off. Beck is expected to step in as starter after Cam Ward is gone to the NFL and the Hurricanes are banking on him to lead them to a College Football Playoff berth.

“Is [Carson] Beck worth all that money?” the coach wondered. “No one really knows right now, but that’s the question you have to ask.”

Beck ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the transfer portal this offseason according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He helped the Bulldogs reach the SEC title game last season before suffering an injury in that game and missing their College Football Playoff quarterfinal, which they lost.

Beck put up solid numbers in his two seasons as a starter in Athens, throwing for 7,426 yards, 52 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in 27 games. He certainly has the experience to lead a team on a deep Playoff run, but has never started in a CFP game in his career.

Regardless, Miami is willing to take a shot on Carson Beck much like it did with Ward, who transferred in from Washington State last offseason. That worked out well as he helped the Hurricanes contend for an ACC Championship and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

But even then, Miami failed to make the conference championship game and failed to make the College Football Playoff. Another anonymous coach who spoke with Athlon Sports noted a pattern for Miami in paying up for the top transfer players the past couple of seasons rather than focusing on team chemistry.

“I think there’s a bigger question here on how and why they spend what they do on the guys they pick,” the coach said. “It’s sort of like a Dodgers or Yankees mindset, spending on top-end recruits and portal guys, and not really a team-focused culture. You’re still in Florida, you still have to prioritize the high schools, and they’ve done that in NIL.”

Ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see whether Miami’s gamble with NIL money pays off this time around. In addition to Beck, the Hurricanes also signed former LSU receiver CJ Daniels, the No. 41 overall player in the portal.