Top college football QB could make $6 million this season after controversial transfer

Miami made a huge splash when landing former Georgia starting quarterback Carson Beck in the transfer portal, and head coach Mario Cristobal's Hurricanes will pay handsomely for that move.

Beck led Georgia to a 24-3 record over two seasons as a starter after backing up two-time national champion Stetson Bennett.

An injury in the 2024 SEC Championship Game win over Texas had seemingly ended Beck's college career early, as he initially declared for the 2025 NFL Draft before making a shocking decision to return for a sixth year.

And that final run wasn't going to be at Georgia, where the former four-star recruit signed in 2020.

One of the most experienced quarterbacks in college football, Beck holds an On3 NIL valuation of $4.3 million (second nationally) and reportedly signed a $4.5 million deal with Miami.

The Hurricanes were looking for a successor following a Heisman Trophy finalist season from Cam Ward, who became the No. 1 overall pick in the spring. And paying Beck didn't seem to be an issue for the ACC powerhouse.

According to On3's Pete Nakos, Beck could make over a million more than his original figure with incentives for the 2025 season, potentially earning up to $6 million for his final college season.

Miami ranks in fifth among the top NIL spenders in the country, according to an On3 poll of some head coaches, administrators, general managers, NIL collectives and agents ahead of the upcoming season.

Beck will likley make more this year by staying in college than he would have as a rookie in the NFL. He entered the 2024 season as the top-returning passer but struggled at times, doubling his interception total from his breakout season in 2023.

A growing strategy in the NIL era, Beck now has the opportunity to continue to build generational wealth while potentially bolstering his professional stock ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Expected to be fully recovered from offseason elbow surgery, Beck will make his Miami debut at home against Notre Dame on Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC).

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