Carson Beck: Miami Hurricanes QB became star with Georgia Bulldogs

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When Carson Beck decided to transfer to Miami this past offseason, Mario Cristobal and Co. had hopes of the former Georgia quarterback picking up where Cam Ward left off last season and leading the Hurricanes to their first College Football Playoff berth.

Not only did that happen, but The U went into Texas A&M and knocked off the home team on Dec. 20.

It sets up a New Year's Eve matchup against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, one of this season's College Football Playoff quarterfinal games. And Miami has a QB that is no stranger to big games.

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Beck and Miami head into the College Football Playoff with the No. 2 scoring offense in the ACC at 34.1 points per game and the No. 4 passing offense in the ACC at 275.8 passing yards per game.

"This is what I came here for. Obviously, a year ago (this time), I was waiting to get surgery on my right arm, which is crazy how much can happen in a year. And here we are, right? It's been one hell of a year and there's been a lot of adversity that we've had to face as a team, that I've had to face individually," Beck said during a media availability on Tuesday, Dec. 16.

"… We've been preparing our butt off, and we're ready to go compete."

Here's what to know on Beck ahead of Miami's CFP first-round game against Texas A&M:

Who is Carson Beck?

Carson Beck is in his first season serving as Miami's starting quarterback. He transferred to the Hurricanes this past offseason by ways of Georgia and the SEC.

The 6-foot-4 quarterback hails from Jacksonville, Florida. A four-star recruit out of high school by 247Sports' Composite rankings, Beck threw for 1,843 yards and 20 touchdowns his senior season at Mandarin High School.

After redshirting his true freshman season at Georgia, Beck spent two seasons as the Bulldogs' backup before finally taking on the starting role in Kirby Smart's program in 2023. Beck led the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record in his first season starting, while throwing for nearly 4,000 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Beck had a rather disappointing last season with the Bulldogs in 2024, as he threw a career-high 12 interceptions and saw his completion percentage drop from 72.4 in 2023 to 64.7 in 2024. He finished with 456 fewer passing yards last season compared to the year prior as well. His season ended on a sour note in the SEC championship game when he sustained a season-ending elbow injury during the final play of the first half.

This season at Miami, Beck started hot and then got into a little rut performance-wise. Over the last month, Beck — along with Miami's roster as a whole — appears to be back at its early-season form that had the Hurricanes ranked No. 2 in the Week 8 US LBM Coaches Poll.

He is not projected to go in the first-round of the upcoming NFL draft in USA TODAY Sports' Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz's latest NFL mock draft. He is currently projected as a Day 3 draft pick in the fourth round, according to NFL Mock Draft Database.

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Why did Carson Beck transfer to Miami?

Beck raised some eyebrows when he announced he was entering the transfer portal after last season instead of staying in the NFL draft process, which he declared for on Dec. 28.

What likely led Beck to change course was that season-ending elbow injury that he sustained in the SEC championship game. Because he needed surgery to repair the UCL in his throwing elbow, Beck would not have likely been able to work out for NFL teams in the NFL draft process, which is where he would have had the opportunity to improve his draft stock.

He entered his name into the portal on Jan. 9, and then committed to the Hurricanes less than 24 hours later on Jan. 10. Beck was listed as the No. 4-ranked player in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports Composite rankings, when he committed to the Hurricanes.

"I had been at Georgia for five years, and I'm super appreciative of my time there. But, I always think there is a shelf life on things and I just think it was time for a fresh start for me and I think that is what ultimately led to me coming down here at Miami," Beck said during an interview with Desmond Howard of ESPN "College GameDay" in September.

"From Coach (Mario) Cristobal to all the players, they said to me like I was family. It was a lot of chaos for me, but having these guys around me really settled me down and honestly helped me get through everything I was going through."

Carson Beck age

Beck turned 24 years old back in November.

Did Carson Beck win the national championship at Georgia?

Yes, Beck won two national championships in his five seasons at Georgia while serving as the backup quarterback to Stetson Bennett.

Carson Beck stats

Here's a look at Beck's career stats at Georgia and Miami:

  • 2021 (Georgia): 10 of 23 passing (43.5%) for 176 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions
  • 2022 (Georgia): 26 of 35 passing (74.3%) for 310 yards with four touchdowns
  • 2023 (Georgia): 302 of 417 passing (72.4%) for 3,941 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions; 116 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on 60 carries
  • 2024 (Georgia): 290 of 448 passing (64.7%) for 3,485 yards with 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions; 71 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 55 carries
  • 2025 (Miami): 263 of 353 passing (74.7%) for 3,072 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions; 39 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 38 carries

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Carson Beck: Miami football QB leads Hurricanes in CFP vs Ohio State

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