You know that feeling when a team finally clicks and you think—This could be it? That was Miami last year with Cam Ward. The QB gave ‘Canes fans their first 10-win year since ’17, making you think anything was possible. Now, with Carson Beck stepping in, there’s this feeling Miami might’ve missed their shot at something huge with Ward. And with Beck’s banged-up elbow this offseason, the pressure cooker’s already on full blast.
Spring practice isn’t just about seeing who’s moving where; it’s about players clicking, getting their timing down, and getting those reps in with their teammates. But Carson Beck’s situation is a bit different. After tearing his UCL and having surgery during that Texas game, he hasn’t been able to do much in the way of practice this offseason. This has got folks wondering if he’ll be ready to jump in with the guys for throwing sessions.
When Ian Coleman, the host of Miami’s Voice of College Football podcast, brought up this exact worry, Miami reporter Cam Underwood was quick to respond, “Not concerned now. He’s on track for his timeline for recovery. Like I say, he’s still doing the kind of shooting drills, short-throwing things, lying on his back like flicks or whatever, so not concerned at this point.” So yeah, Carson Beck isn’t going full throttle yet as he’s still on the mend. But he’s out there at spring practice, watching his team run through those short drills. Right now, it doesn’t sound like there’s anything to really worry about.
Except… there’s a ‘but’ to it….
Credit: Imago
Underwood did point out what would raise a red flag for him down the road, saying, “I would be concerned if we get to fall camp and he’s not full go. I would like it to be earlier. I would like it to be like him to be able to have some reps over the summer in the, you know, voluntary workouts at Tropical Park or whatever type thing. But yeah, until we get to official camp and he’s not throwing at full go up until then, I’m good, so I would say probably another three and a half months from today, like, or three months. Like, I’m not worried anytime soon.” Now, that could get dicey real quick if he’s still not throwing at full speed come fall camp. Things could easily slip through Miami’s fingers.
Let’s be real—dropping $4 million on a starting quarterback who can’t even show what he’s fully capable of is a major headache. And Carson Beck’s issues go beyond just that elbow. His inconsistency last season was pretty clear.
The 6’4″, 220-pound quarterback saw his interceptions double to 12 from the year before, and his completion rate dipped from 72.4% in 2023 to 64.7%. Even though Georgia snagged the SEC title and made the playoffs, their offense wasn’t the same powerhouse, finishing 51st nationally after being a top-five unit the previous year. Losing guys like Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey definitely hurt Georgia’s passing game, leading to the Bulldogs leading the FBS in dropped passes.
If his supporting cast was holding him back last year, then Mario Cristobal’s top priority needs to be fixing that ASAP. So, will Miami end up making the same mistake with Carson Beck that Georgia did?
Carson Beck’s targets: Miami’s new WRs
Miami’s got a receiver reshuffle on its hands. Xavier Restrepo, Sam Brown, and Jacolby George are all making the jump to the NFL, and Isaiah Horton’s heading off to Alabama. So yeah, they’ve got some gaps to fill in their receiving corps. The Hurricanes absolutely cannot afford for Beck’s struggles to get any worse. But Cam Underwood sounds confident that they’re building one of the best offensive lines in the whole country.
“We’re gonna have one of the best offensive lines of the country, period. I think honestly in the opener, Miami and Notre Dame, you could say those are probably the two best offensive lines, really much hands down, as you know, in terms of what we’re looking at going into this season. So when you have that, that helps out your running game, that helps out your quarterback, and new receivers give hope.” Looks like Underwood isn’t sweating Miami’s roster too much, and for good reason.
Ray Ray Joseph, a four-star recruit ranked No. 151 nationally by 247Sports, has been showing some serious potential. Even though he was learning behind Xavier Restrepo for his first two seasons, Joseph still managed to rack up 110 yards on 12 catches. “Restrepo left me a lot of guidance,” Joseph said. “How he gets all his separation. When to break stuff off. Leverage. How to get into those open spots and open zones. He taught me a lot.” Joseph has been putting in the work to sharpen his game, especially focusing on changing speeds. But he’s not the only young talent in the mix.
The team also has Malachi Toney, a true freshman who’s already flashing some playmaking ability. Back in 2023, Toney led his American Heritage team to a 10-2 record and the semifinals, hauling in 49 catches for 773 yards and 8 touchdowns. And as a freshman the year before, he had 35 catches for 621 yards and 8 touchdowns, helping his team reach Florida’s 2M championship game.
Now, Underwood throws an interesting curveball into the whole receiver situation, suggesting they might only look at adding another receiver if Ray Ray and Malachi don’t pan out: “Do Ray Ray Joseph and Malachi Tony individually, collectively, or whatever; show enough to preclude the staff from going and getting another slot? That’s something I’ll be interested to see.”
They did try to land Zachariah Branch, but he ended up at Georgia. So, if things go smoothly this spring, they might not need to hit the transfer portal for another receiver. We’ll just have to wait and see how things shake out for Miami this season with Carson Beck and their fresh batch of receivers.
The post Miami Reporter Raises Major Carson Beck Concern After Mario Cristobal Urged to Make Transfer Portal Call to Secure QB’s Future appeared first on EssentiallySports.