Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes bid adieu to their stalwart QB Cam Ward in the NFL draft, and things didn’t quite look the same. There was a high attrition rate. Key players were losing eligibility, and the QB room? Well, that was nothing short of a nightmare. That’s when it would have clicked for Cristobal. Why not convince Carson Beck to park his NFL dreams for a while and invite him to Miami? No harm done, right? Well, that would’ve been the case until it rained ‘betrayal’ in Georgia.
There were all kinds of rumors about the move being motivated by his proximity to his girlfriend, who plays basketball for the college. Also, the word ‘greed’ was thrown around quite a lot, as he had just signed a $4 million NIL deal. Nevertheless, despite all the taint and trolls, Mario Cristobal had gotten his man, a player who was touted as the best quarterback in college football right now. Things would look smooth from here, right?
Well, there’s a catch, and it’s a big one, so brace yourself. Tom Hannifan, a college football analyst speaking on an episode of ‘College Football Addiction,’ wasn’t quite impressed with Beck’s talents and exploits. “I think Carson Beck is poised to have a very disappointing year… I am tired of everybody anointing this guy, as he had a really nice year in 2023 when he was surrounded by weapons, Ladd McConkey, Brock Bowers, and a killer offensive line, and that was kind of the beginning of the gradual decline of the way that Georgia was just killing it.”
Well, that’s a lot to digest, but bear with it for a moment. What the analyst is saying can be justified in many ways. But still, the season Beck had in 2023 was unworldly in all aspects. Beck led his team to an almost undefeated season, ending with a loss against Alabama in the 2023 SEC championship. They didn’t make the playoffs due to their ‘ strength’ of schedule and would have certainly torched some defenses if they had the chance. Moreover, Beck’s stats for completing 72.4% of passes for close to 4,000 yards are just incredible; they also had 116 rushing yards. However, one thing that the analyst says can be said to be correct in many aspects.
NCAA, College League, USA Football: Florida A&M at Miami Sep 7, 2024 Miami Gardens, Florida, USA Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal looks on before the game against the Florida A&M Rattlers at Hard Rock Stadium. Miami Gardens Hard Rock Stadium Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xSamxNavarrox 20240907_kdn_na2_163
Tom Hannifan highlighted the problems that Carson Beck would be having in Miami. “He’s (Carson Beck) coming off of a major injury to his throwing arm. Do we expect him to be good to go in week zero, week one, week two, and week three? Like, at what point are you getting back allegedly the return on investment of $4 million? He is having his Lamborghini stolen left and right. He’s living in Miami with his girlfriend, who is an enormous social media presence and probably a distraction in a good way. Good for you, Carson. I’m envious, really, but still, I don’t see how this is supposed to work out that you see an upgrade from the Cam Ward year at Miami to the Carson Beck… Carson Beck this year feels like a guy who understands he has hype and he’s cashing in at the college level “.
Well, Carson Beck’s injury concerns and the decline after his exploits in the 2023 season are quite true and glaring. This is because he suffered a season-ending injury to his right elbow, which required surgery and a long recovery. And we have seen players decline very drastically after coming through such devastating injuries. So, that may well be a real concern. Then comes the looming question of whether he is better or even at the same level that Cam Ward had been at Miami.
Cam Ward’s absence too strongly felt in Miami?
Well, that’s a glaring question that will haunt Mario Cristobal and company until Beck starts showcasing his talent on the field. This is because Ward at Miami wasn’t just a quarterback leading the plays; he was much more than that. Ward was a leader both in the locker room and on the field. Surely, players would flock around him and his leadership traits. Can Carson Beck offer the same qualities?
247 Sports’ national recruiting editor, Bud Elliot, provided a peek into the potential qualities that will be missed at Miami after the departure of Ward. “A lot of concern over leadership on offense… losing Cam, losing Restrepo, losing some guys who had been there a while and who cared. And I don’t think that’s a shot at Carson Beck, but maybe it is. I don’t know… I was in Orlando, Bronx, Tampa, Miami, and a couple of other stops over the last week on the recruiting circuit. That’s what came up a couple of times. Just talking to people I trust, leadership is the concern.”
Leadership could be the real concern for Cristobal, and it seems Carson Beck isn’t offering any respite in that department. Add that to the fact that the Hurricanes are losing some of the best receivers in Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, Isaiah Horton, and Sam Brown. Furthermore, they also lost several running backs, like Chris Johnson and Ajay Allen. So, in all, this will be a relatively fresh roster with many new faces and without a leader in the ranks. Well, that’s a recipe for disaster.
The post Tough Consequences Await Mario Cristobal as $4M Carson Beck’s True Intentions Exposed Amid Alarming Miami Revelation appeared first on EssentiallySports.
