Playoff Dreams to Panic: How Miami’s Season, Carson Beck’s Draft Stock Fell Apart
There is no doubt quarterback Carson Beck had big shoes to fill in Miami. After producing the No. 1 NFL draft pick in Cam Ward, the Hurricanes had high expectations of having another one.
Through the first 10 weeks of this season, Miami achieved its goals; enjoying a consistent spot within the Associated Press Top 25 poll among the top-10 teams. In Week 3 through Week 5, the Hurricanes were the No. 2-ranked team.
Now, in Week 11, Mario Cristobal’s squad is facing a steep decline. After two conference losses to unranked teams, the Hurricanes (6-2, 2-2 ACC) are looking down the barrel of their latest ranking at No. 18.
The College Football Playoff Committee released its first bracket of the season Tuesday night and left out Miami from the postseason picture. Given all the hype and early momentum around this Hurricanes team, many fans are left bewildered and wondering how much Beck is to blame for this season’s collapse. Beck drew early Heisman Trophy buzz and received praise for restoring “The U” to national relevance as a title contender.
For Georgia fans, this sudden shift in performance seemed only a matter of time. In 2024, as the starting quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs, Beck faced criticism for his inability to take care of the football and maintain consistency throughout the season. Beck threw 12 interceptions and completed 69.4% of passes. After initially registering for the draft, Beck chose to withdraw and rebuild his draft stock in Miami following an elbow injury.
This season, Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton is being praised as an upgrade from Beck. Through eight games, Stockton has completed 161 of 229 passes (70.3 %) and thrown for 1,776 yards, 12 touchdowns and only two interceptions to accumulate a passer rating just under 151.0.
For this season, Beck is completing 72.4% of his passes, despite throwing nine interceptions. Four of those interceptions came in Miami’s first loss to Louisville. Two were thrown in the most recent loss to SMU, one in overtime that led to the defeat. It allowed the Mustangs to take possession and score.
Notably, in the news conference after the loss to SMU, Beck ruffled feathers for seemingly shifting accountability to Hurricanes offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson for the loss.
The issue isn’t talent. It’s decision-making. Beck has repeatedly forced throws into double coverage and struggled under pressure, especially when trailing. His mechanics still flash first-round potential. But the moments that define NFL-caliber quarterbacks, namely the ability to elevate a team when everything else collapses, are elusive.
NFL scouts once had Beck projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick. Now, that projection is slipping toward Day 2. The whispers of “locker room maturity issues” are not helping.
To outrun Ward’s shadow and his own shortcomings, Beck must end the season with at least 3,500 yards, and the draft concerns about arm talent and mobility will likely fade against evident success.
Category: College Football, Miami Hurricanes
