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Mario Cristobal Reveals the Differences & Similarities Between Carson Beck & Cam Ward

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated May 19, 2025 9:58 AM ET

The 2024 college football season was a remarkable one for the Miami Hurricanes, as they finished with a record of 10-3. This marked their first 10-win season since 2017 and only their second since 2004.

A key factor in the Hurricanes' improvement from a 7-6 season in 2023 was star quarterback Cam Ward. The transfer from Washington State threw for 4,313 yards, completed 39 touchdown passes and threw just seven interceptions while achieving a completion rate of 67.2%. His exceptional performance led Miami to have the top-ranked offense, the third-ranked passing offense and the highest-scoring offense in the country.

After the season, Ward declared for the 2025 NFL Draft and was selected first overall by the Tennessee Titans. This left a significant gap in the quarterback position, which was eventually filled by former Georgia Bulldogs star quarterback Carson Beck.

Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal appeared on Josh Pate's College Football Show, where he compared two star quarterbacks..

"He is different than Cam personality-wise, but not from a drive and determination side," Cristobal said. "I think that really hit us strong in that very short process with Carson. His knowledge of the game speaks very loudly of a guy who's been prepping his entire life. I also think we brought in a person who has a lot to prove, but more in the sense of winning. More in the sense of team than anything else."

Beck spent five seasons at Georgia, where he won two national championships as a backup quarterback behind Stetson Bennett. The former four-star prospect then became the starter for the next two seasons, 2023 and 2024. During those two seasons, he threw for 7,426 yards, 52 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, while completing 68.4% of his passes.

He led the Bulldogs to an impressive 24-3 record and won one SEC championship, but he never won a national championship or made it to the College Football Playoff semifinals. Last season was his best chance to achieve this milestone, but he suffered an injury in the first half of the SEC Championship Game against the Texas Longhorns. As a result, he missed the rest of that game and the playoff matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, which Georgia lost 23-10.

Now, he hopes to revitalize his career and lead Miami to a championship for the first time since 2001.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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