Mario Cristobal claims 'pieces weren't quite in place' in 2024 for Carson Beck at Georgia prior to Miami transfer

Carson Beck‘s decision to transfer from Georgia to Miami made sense for all parties, especially after Beck opted to forgo the 2025 NFL Draft following a serious elbow injury in last season’s SEC Championship game. But to hear Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal tell it, Miami was simply a better situation than what he experienced during a disappointing final season in Athens.

“Three games in, we feel awesome about the progress. I mean, when you watched him on film, ’23 was a phenomenal year, and ’24 he did have a good year, but the pieces weren’t quite in place like he had them in ’23,” Cristobal said during a Friday afternoon appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show. “(Georgia’s offensive) scheme kind of morphed into something different. And we felt that with our offensive line, our skill players, our running game and then surrounding him with a certain type of environment that he could really thrive. The guy’s a competitor, he’s an awesome, awesome teammate and he’s a natural leader. So far it’s working out pretty well.”

Three games into his first season in Coral Gables, Beck has been a revelation with the Hurricanes, including posting an NCAA-leading 79.3 completion percentage (65-of-82) to go along with 812 passing yards and a 7-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound redshirt senior quarterback has flashed much of the potential that had NFL scouts and draftniks projecting him as a potential contender to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft prior to the 2024 season.

That hype came after a breakout season in 2023, his first as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback, when Beck threw for 3,941 passing yards and 24 touchdowns to six interceptions on 72.4% passing. But, for a multitude of reasons, Beck failed to match his 2023 production in 2024 with 3,485 yards and 28 touchdowns on 64.7% passing and a SEC-leading 12 interceptions.

While Beck bore the brunt of fan criticism for Georgia’s troubles last season, it has since become evident that the Bulldogs’ offensive issues went far beyond just the quarterback. UGA head coach Kirby Smart dove head-first into the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason to add more reliable playmakers on offense, like receiver Zachariah Branch (USC) and running back Josh McCray (Illinois), while injuries have once again created issues along the Georgia offensive line for the second season in a row.