Miami Hurricanes QB Carson Beck at ACC Media Day says transfer to UM is "one of the better decisions I’ve made"

It’s the question on every Miami Hurricanes fan’s mind. And the answer might just dictate the success or failure of the 2025 season. That question: How is Carson Beck’s oh-so-valuable right arm?

Beck, of course, transferred in from Georgia and a year ago at this time was the Heisman Trophy frontrunner. But then he had a down 2024 season, leading the SEC with 12 INTs and having Georgia fans call him out for perceived indifference/locker room issues, he moved on to a new home in Miami. It’s here that he rehabbed a torn UCL suffered last postseason, an injury that cost him the spring.

But he’s back and says he’s as good as ever.

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“I’m doing good, man,” Beck said at today’s ACC Media Day. “I’ve been 100 percent for a while, throughout summer workouts. Really trying to build this chemistry with the wide receivers, watching film, extra routes. I’m feeling really good.”

Expectations are high for Beck. You’ll still find him on Heisman lists, just not as high as he once was. Beck’s listed by FanDuel tied at No. 14 in the odds for the trophy with Austin Simmons. So a little bit of disrespect there considering he’s shown he can make every throw from time at Georgia, and he’s a proven winner with success against top defenses. He had a 24-3 record at UGA as a starter.

As for why he transferred?

“The biggest thing for me was the offensive fit,” Beck said. “As a quarterback the offensive coordinator, the scheme, the talent and guys you have around you is huge for the success and ultimately the future of a quarterback, of me. This is my future and I think this decision is one of the better decisions I’ve made.”

So what does he say to the naysayers?

“Everybody is entitled to an opinion,” Beck said. “All I really can do is just go in and work every single day, try to get better with not only myself and my teammates, start building those relationships and continue to try to lead this team.”

Beck also said he doesn’t feel pressure to fill the lofty shoes of No. 1 NFL Draft pick Cam Ward.

“His success is undeniable,” Beck said. “The last school I was at I followed up a two-time national champion, didn’t feel pressure there,” Beck said. “It’s a game. I’ve played my whole life. It’s something I love to do. I have really good talent around me, coaches to help me not only achieve my goals but be really successful.”

As for Beck’s past performance? Well, we’ll start with last season. In 13 games he threw for 3,485 yards with 28 TDs (and one rushing TD) and the aforementioned 12 INTs. The prior year, 2023, he was second team All-SEC, throwing for 3,941 yards with 24 TDs (adding four more rushing scores) and six INTs. That was his first starting role and he led the team to a 13-1 record. Per Pro Football Focus, Beck had a solid 81.2 overall grade last year, 94.5 grade on 20+ passes (16.3 percent of his throws were 20+ yards), 73.4 grade on 10-19 yard passes (23.8 percent of his throws), 74.0 percent grade on 0-9 yard passes (28.3 percent of his throws) and 73.6 grade on throws behind the line (26.5 percent of the time).

Now he hopes to thrive in a new offense under Shannon Dawson at Miami.

“He’s very calm, cool and collected, which I love about him,” Beck said of Dawson. “Very good at being able to connect with me, that’s what I’ve been able to realize from the jump – his understanding, ability to teach, explain what he’s trying to do. We haven’t been able to play a game yet, but it’s something I’m looking forward to. Watching film from all the games last year, what he was able to do with Cam and the offense – very excited to have him as my OC, to learn and build under him.”

A side story to Beck is Miami’s question marks at receiver. The team lost its top four statistical pass catchers along with top TE Elijah Arroyo, and has added three transfers. But CJ Daniels struggled at LSU last year while veterans Keelan Marion and Tony Johnson have never had more than 500 yards in their careers.

The team has a lot of top young WR talent led by JoJo Trader and Malachi Toney, but they also are unproven.

So Beck has to make his receivers better, and they in turn have to make plays for Beck.

“Man, I’m really, really excited (about the receivers),” Beck said. “The work we’ve been able to put in over the summer since I’ve been able to start throwing again has been really good. What I’m most excited about is the mindset, mentality of these guys, even the younger guys. CJ is a veteran guy who has played a lot of football, has a lot of experience, but these younger guys – their ability to learn and adapt on the fly is very impressive. I’m very excited to continue to work with them. As we go into fall camp it’ll be a really pivotal moment for us as we go into the first game.

Good news is the offensive line protecting Beck has back six players with starting experience and is expected to be one of the best groups in the nation. And a run game spearheaded by Mark Fletcher, Jordan Lyle and transfer power back CharMar Brown should help take pressure off him.

So how does Miami’s overall talent match up with Georgia’s?

“Whenever I was at Georgia, was there a very, very long time it feels – the coaches, players we had, we always had a lot of talent,” Beck said. “Now coming to Miami it’s the same thing. There’s so much talent. And with the coaches, players, all around the board – these dudes just go to work. It’s been very exciting to be accepted into the culture at Miami, really build relationships, get around these guys more and more. We have lot of player led practices – being able to be around the guys, there’s talent all across the board I’m really excited to play with.”

A final takeaway from Beck?

That’s on what he sees ahead for this year’s team off a 10-win 2024 season, with Notre Dame looming in Game 1.

“I’m really excited to get in with the guys start competing and ultimately have a great season,” Beck said. “I think as the years go on I look back to my freshman year of college, second year, third year – as each year goes on you get better and better, more accumulated reps. Some of the defenses I was going up against at Georgia were some of the best defenses ever put together. There’s a lot of experience I can bring to the table. I’m really excited, excited what I am able to bring to the table for this team.”

*Beck says he hasn’t had much of a chance to talk with Ward. “I don’t know him much, but very proud of him,” Beck said. “Very inspiring, and hopefully something I’m able to replicate.”

CARSON BECK PRESS CONFERENCE Q&A

Q. Carson, what can you say about why the transfer portal when you had different roads you could have taken and why Miami, ultimately reflecting on that hindsight 20/20?

CARSON BECK: Yeah, I think the biggest thing for me, obviously, was the offensive fit. 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, A, of a quarterback, but of me. This is my future, and I think that this decision is one of the better decisions I’ve made, 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.

I’m really excited to continue to keep working with these guys. Obviously, the spring, it was a little slow for me. I tried to take care of a coaching role, a coaching aspect. Being behind every single play, trying to help the other quarterbacks that were in there getting reps, picking out one singular receiver at practice and watching every single one of his reps and then going in and watching the film with him after and teaching him certain things, certain intricacies and routes and concepts and trying to teach everybody the way I see the game so that we’re all on the same page.

Ultimately the decision, I feel like, has really paid off, and this off-season has been really good and full of good work.

Q. Do you feel any pressure following Cam Ward? Obviously he was the No. 1 pick, broke some program records. Do you feel any pressure following in his footsteps?

CARSON BECK: No, not really. Obviously his success is undeniable. Obviously I don’t really know him very well. I’ve been able to meet him a couple times, but obviously very — I don’t want to say proud. I don’t know the kid. But what he was able to do is undeniable.

The last school I was at I followed up the two-time national champion, so I didn’t really feel any pressure there. It’s a game; I’ve played football my whole life. I’ve played quarterback since I was seven years old, and it’s something that I love to do and I’ve got a lot of good talent around me and really good coaches in position to not only help me not only achieve my goals, but be really successful.

Again, really just looking forward to the opportunity, and again, have the opportunity to go out and play football again. I haven’t done it in a while, so looking forward to it.

Q. You have had some success against ACC defenses in your career, 4-0, 10 touchdowns, one interception. What is it you see is maybe a difference between some of the SEC defenses you’ve faced and the opportunities you’ve had to play against ACC defenses?

CARSON BECK: Yeah, I mean, football is football, at the end of the day. I think from team to team, you’re going to get different defensive coordinators with different philosophies.

I don’t think it’s as much of an ACC versus SEC thing. I think it’s just a team to team thing. South Carolina is going to look different than Duke, as Wake Forest is going to look different than Washington State or Oregon. I’m just naming random teams now. But I think it’s more of a defensive coordinator thing, and game to game we will watch that film and ultimately put together a good plan that we think will be successful against that and then go out on the film and hopefully execute that.