Miami HC Mario Cristobal gives reason for fans to be excited about QB Carson Beck

The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes and head coach Mario Cristobal are hoping they can catch lightning in a bottle two years in a row thanks to the transfer portal.

Heading into 2024, they got Cam Ward from Washington State. Ward went on to be a Heisman Trophy contender and then go No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft. He's a great representation of this new era of Miami football.

This past offseason, Cristobal again went to the transfer portal and came away with former Georgia starting quarterback Carson Beck. 

Beck transferred to Coral Gables in January but has been recovering from surgery on his right elbow to repair his ulnar collateral ligament. He also injured his shoulder in Georgia's SEC Championship win over Texas.

There was absolutely some risk for Miami in going to get a quarterback coming off a major injury, but now just weeks away from the start of the 2025 season, Cristobal revealed that Beck is looking good.

“He’s 100% healthy," the Miami coach said on the "Gramlich & Mac Lain Show" (h/t On3). "So he’s been working out with the team since we started our summer workouts. He’s had plenty of reps in our player-led practices, from seven-on-seven to team reps, there haven’t been any limitations on him,” Cristobal said.

Beck had started 27 games total for the Bulldogs over five seasons (two as the bona fide starter). He threw for 7,912 yards and 58 touchdowns at Georgia. 

ESPN's Mel Kiper ranked him as the No. 5 quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft, but the injury forced Beck to return to college. Instead of returning to Georgia, though, he decided to help Miami try make a run back up the top of the college football mountain.

And at least here in fall camp, Cristobal and the Hurricanes seem to be extremely happy that they have the veteran quarterback from Jacksonville, Florida.

“What you see is a very experienced guy. He really understands the game inside and out. The back end, the front end, the line of scrimmage. He understands blocking schemes. He understands where he’s protected, how he’s protected, if he’s protected, and he understands what to get us into if we need a safety valve," the head coach explained.

A healthy and locked-in Beck could absolutely be the X factor for Miami as the Hurricanes look to make the College Football Playoff. Remember, he did win two national championships as the backup to Stetson Bennett at Georgia, so he also knows what it takes to win it all from the quarterback position.

If you're a fan of the Hurricanes, this has got to be an exciting time.