Carson Beck calls decision to leave Georgia ‘very difficult' but says Miami is the right fit
The transfer portal was never an option, and it wouldn't have been if he hadn't injured his right (throwing) elbow in December's SEC Championship Game.
But, Beck said Tuesday, the injury forced his hand, sending him from one marquee program to another, Miami.
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'I made the decision to come here, and I feel like it's worked out pretty well so far,' Beck said during ACC football media days in one of his first public appearances since joining the Hurricanes in January.
Beck said the decision to leave Georgia was 'very difficult,' but five years is a long time to stay in one place and the NFL wasn't the right option. Though his exit wasn't ideal, it could have been worse.
Beck injured his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in the first half against Texas. Neither he nor Georgia's staff knew how bad it was at first. That's why he reentered the game briefly after his replacement, Gunner Stockton, got his helmet knocked off in overtime.
Beck, fortunately, still had his helmet on the sidelines. He took a few practice snaps and felt comfortable enough to reenter in the emergency situation. Beck asked his teammates if they could end the game as quickly as possible, just in case. With his right arm frozen, Beck short-armed a handoff to Trevor Etienne, who scored on a 4-yard run.
'People are like, jumping on me and stuff,' Beck said. 'Yo, chill. I'm injured. That was a really cool moment, I think, to be my last play for Georgia and not (have) the injury be my last play.'
As Beck considered his next stop, he said he was quickly impressed by the culture coach Mario Cristobal has instilled at Miami, which was a College Football Playoff contender into November last year. The demeanor of the staff matched his own, and the talent level is good enough for Miami to contend in the ACC.
Beck is also a good fit for offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson's balanced attack, which helped another transfer, Cam Ward, develop into the No. 1 overall pick.
'It's just that freedom aspect and the trust that coach Dawson had in him,' Beck said. 'Ultimately, I hope that I can earn the same trust from coach Dawson, as well, through fall camp and then ultimately getting into games and making good decisions and being efficient.'
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The Hurricanes didn't need much convincing to add Beck. Cristobal said 'everything' drew them to a veteran who went 24-3 as Georgia's starter.
'He's played in monster games, and he's played at a high level,' Cristobal said. 'He is ultra competitive, and his football IQ is off the charts. It didn't take long to realize that he's a team player, and that his work ethic is also through the roof.'
Beck was limited in what he could do and show during spring practice as he recovered from elbow surgery. He said the time on the sideline forced him to study the playbook like a coach, potentially boosting his development.
When Beck was fully cleared to throw in April, he still felt tentative.
'The last time that I had thrown a football,' Beck said, 'my elbow literally ripped.'
During a workout in his hometown of Jacksonville, a trainer told him to let a throw rip. Beck did, and it spun out perfectly.
'I was like, 'OK, I'm good,'' Beck said. 'From that moment on, it was almost, like, compounding and got significantly better from there.'
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New York Times
32 minutes ago
- New York Times
Fanfare follows Bill Belichick at ACC media days, but UNC's coach handles it his way
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The day was almost done. Bill Belichick had finished tackling 26 minutes of questions from a room of 70 reporters and 22 cameras. He stopped to grab some ESPN-branded boxes of popcorn at a booth in the hallway. There was a problem, though. 'You got one that's not empty?' he asked with a laugh. Advertisement The booth attendant handed him a pair of boxes filled to the brim, an apology for the unwitting prank on North Carolina's new coach, who also happens to be the most accomplished NFL coach of all time and the biggest new face in college football. Talking season was complete. Six hours of mostly uninterrupted media obligations were more than enough for the famously terse coach. Time to celebrate with a snack. Belichick has arrived at the ACC Kickoff — Matt Baker (@MattBakerCFB) July 24, 2025 At 8:47 a.m., Belichick exited a black SUV parked under a bridge and ambled into a side street entrance of the Hilton Uptown Charlotte holding a black backpack. 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Yahoo
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Bill Belichick: North Carolina is a pro program, we have an NFL approach in college
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NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Bill Belichick: North Carolina is a pro program, we have an NFL approach in college
North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick says he's coaching his college football team like he coached in the NFL. Asked at the ACC media day if he's trying to introduce NFL-level schemes and concepts to college football, Belichick answered, 'That's exactly what we're trying to do. That's my philosophy.' Belichick said he views the Tar Heels like a pro team that just needs some minor adjustments for younger players. 'It's a pro program,' Belichick said. 'Practice, training, food, schemes, terminology, it's all a pro program. Not to the extent that we did it in the NFL — there will be fewer plays, fewer adjustments — but it will be along those lines.' Belichick said to the extent that he'll coach differently, it's largely about the differences between NCAA rules, such as college football's wider hashmarks and the overtime format that takes place mostly in the red zone. 'There's some things I don't think we'll need at this level and other things that we are,' Belichick said. 'Based on hashmarks and things like that that are difference, the overtime system — the red area could potentially come up a lot more than in the NFL on a percentage basis. Things like that that you just have to take into consideration. But fundamentally, we're going to do as much as we can as a pro system.'
