With every day struck off the calendar, the results of Mario Cristobal’s bet on Carson Beck get closer. The QB is getting twice the money Cam Ward got, which means the HC-QB duo cannot afford any slips. But that one claim of Carson Beck being no Cam Ward continues to ring loudly among fans. But, it’s no breaking news for Carson Beck. This is his season, and his offense, and the Miami staff is confident that this combination will bring in results.
Once upon a time, Carson Beck was the touted No. 1 pick for the 2025 draft. By the time the draft rolled around, the QB was nowhere in consideration as a top pick. A brutal 2024 season at Georgia forced him to take a reset year in football. And he was not doing it at Athens. Miami fans were on two ends when Beck signed with Miami, because they were getting a fallen QB to replace their star in Cam Ward. Amid all the uncertainty surrounding Beck’s performance, one voice inside the Miami building hasn’t wavered. OC Shannon Dawson has studied Beck all summer, and he seems convinced that Beck is built for the big stage.
As the offseason progressed, Carson Beck seemed to blend into the Miami system. The Hurricanes rank 2nd in the ACC’s preseason poll, that’s only because of a more elite Clemson and Cade Klubnik. With Carson Beck leading the Miami offense, Miami’s future seems to be in good hands. Even though fans are worried about Beck being a boom-or-bust investment for Cristobal, OC Shannon Dawson is confident in his play-caller. “Shannon loves him,” a Miami source told On3. “He thinks he has another No. 1 pick in Carson.” Dawson sees Beck climbing the same ladder Cam Ward did, from an overlooked college transfer to the very top of the NFL draft board.
NCAA, College League, USA Football: ACC Kickoff Jul 22, 2025 Charlotte, NC, USA Miami quarterback Carson Beck answers questions from the media during ACC Media Days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Charlotte Hilton Charlotte Uptown NC USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJimxDedmonx 20250722_jla_db2_017
But that’s a big hill to climb. When it comes to the 2026 draft, Carson Beck will have to fight Klubnik and maybe even Garrett Nussmeier to go as the No. 1 pick. We know Arch Manning is out of this picture, or else Beck would have had to battle him as well. But Beck has the tougher road ahead compared to these QBs. They are already great, and want to be even greater in 2025. The Miami QB, on the other hand, is making his way back up after a fall from grace. “Last year at this time, nobody was talking about Cam Ward as the first pick of the draft. He went to that system and flourished. I wouldn’t be shocked if Carson Beck ended up as the first pick in the draft,” draft expert Bruce Feldman said on This Is Football.
Even with Cam Ward, defensive troubles kept Cristobal and Miami from tasting true glory. And, the former Miami QB was known to play his own game in the field, while Beck relies heavily on the support around him. But when it comes to potential, there should be little doubt in the new QB1. Miami is getting one of 2023’s best QBs in Carson Beck. And if he goes back to that level, there’s a good chance Carson Beck will be featured at the top when mock drafts for 2026 are rolled out.
But Carson Beck needs a strong supporting cast to thrive, since he’s a pure pocket-passer, unlike Cam Ward. Mario Cristobal is confident that the QB and his supporting cast will be a productive match for Miami this year.
Cristobal puts Carson Beck’s support system worries at ease
According to Cristobal, what Carson Beck didn’t get at Georgia, he’s getting it in Dawson’s offense. “I think what he has found here is a system that really fits him. He is really, really smart. And this, the position anywhere, certainly in this offense, requires it to have a guy that can really run it like a coordinator can while he’s on the field. He loves the O-line. He loves his weapons, his guys,” the HC said in an appearance on the Gramlich & Mac Lain podcast. Beck will be getting one of the best O-lines in the country this year–a niche where Mario Cristobal excels. In 2024, this unit charged ahead with 537.2 yards on average, 43.9 points per game. This year, 4 of the best O-linemen return.
The WR room at Miami is also being looked at with a doubtful lens. But there is some serious potential here as well. Freshmen Malachi Toney and Joshua Moore can be explosive on the field, given their impressive yardage from their prep careers. They join veterans CJ Daniels, Keelon Marion, and Tony Johnson, who have a combined total of 4,682 yards and 41 TDs. They replace 6 of the top production from this unit, all of them are in the NFL now. That loss is precisely why the Miami WR room is seen as a question mark. “He’s really pleasantly just surprised at how good of a supporting cast he’s going to have,” Mario Cristobal added.
It’s safe to say that Miami fans will not be keeping their hopes high because ofhow different this squad is in comparison to that of the 2024 one. But even with the reorganization, Miami is still a contender for the ACC title. And if that is in the bag, maybe an unproven Carson Beck and Cristobal will be the key for Miami’s return to being an elite power in college football.
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