CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carson Beck planned to leave Georgia only for the NFL Draft.
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.
However, Beck said Tuesday, the injury forced his hand, sending him from one marquee program to another, Miami.
“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.
Fortunately, Beck still had his helmet on the sidelines. He took a few practice snaps and felt comfortable enough to return. 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 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 that coach Mario Cristobal has instilled at Miami, which was a College Football Playoff contender into November. 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.”
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.”
(Photo: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)
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