Carson Beck changed his mind almost as quickly as his Lamborghini can go 0-60. After initially declaring for the NFL draft, he has pulled a stunning u-turn. Beck is now headed to southern Florida to play out his final year of collegiate eligibility with the Miami Hurricanes. A move that theoretically makes sense for everybody involved. Cam Ward leaving could’ve potentially put the whole program in disarray. However, HC Mario Cristobal will be pleased to have another quality veteran QB to work with. On the flip side, Beck will be closer to his girlfriend, a student there, and, well, be in Miami, FL, over Athens. With all due respect, that’s an upgrade geographically. However, there’s a cloud of uncertainty looming over the Sunshine State.

It’s safe to say Carson Beck’s stint with the Georgia Bulldogs included moments of greatness and moments of growth alike. Mixed or even negative sentiments towards his time among the Bulldogs’ faithful are fathomable. Yes, he’s a national champion. But wasn’t a contributor to those teams. The two seasons he was atop the QB depth chart coincided with 2 of Georgia’s worst seasons in the Kirby Smart era. Albeit this wasn’t necessarily down to him. Owing to a lackluster 2024 season, Beck saw his NFL stock plummet. He went from a first-round grade to a scenario where it was best for him to return to college and build his rep back up with the Canes. Which he will, but not right away. 

Carson Beck went down with an elbow injury on his throwing arm during the SEC Championship Game against Texas. An attempt at a “Hail Mary!” to the endzone at the cusp of halftime transpired into a “No, Jesus!” Beck’s season and career with Georgia was over. Bar a cameo as a glorified mannequin on one series later in the game to throw Texas off. This injury needed surgery, and Beck has not partaken in throwing the football since. That’s over 3 months. Now that Cristobal and the Canes began spring practice, we finally received intel on how far along Beck is in his rehab. As well as when he’s expected to be cleared to throw and resume full training.

Over the “Locked on College Football” podcast, ACC insider Alex Donno leveraged what he learned while attending Miami’s first spring practice. “I got eyes on Carson Beck pretty quickly when I entered Miami’s practice facility. I was happy to see that he did not have any sort of a sling or a brace on his right arm,” said Donno.

Donno elaborated on affairs with, “he’s not cleared to throw yet. But I think that’s going to happen pretty soon. He was engaging in multiple drills that were non-throwing drills” He labeled Beck a “pretty active participant” with whom “there was no risk of reinjuring himself by jostling his arm or anything like that.” Donno proceeded to address the elephant in the room- when will Carson Beck begin throwing the pigskin?

Donno’s discernment was based on Mario Cristobal’s recent statement that Beck will resume throwing in 2 weeks. Something he believes is optimistic but possible. “[Miami are] off next week for spring break, and then they’re back the week after that. So I think if you’re going to be very optimistic on the timetable, there is a possibility that [Carson Beck] might be cleared to throw by the second week of spring football…I’ll be looking at that,” said Alex Donno. Now that there’s football underway, fans are privy to a lot of information. Including what jersey number a freshman, or in this case a transfer player, will wear. 

Carson Beck’s new jersey number is a show of faith from Mario Cristobal and the Canes

Whatever your opinion of Carson Beck, he’s perceived better than 90% of QBs at the college level. When he sensationally walked back on his NFL declaration to join Miami, one of the main reasons was fairly transparent. Beck was offered a lot of NIL money, along with an opportunity to hone his skills. The strange yet true bit is that Beck will make more money in college football next season than some first-round draft picks will make in the NFL. He’s due to make north of $3 million, very conservatively. Well, he’s worth it to Miami. Who certainly has a lot of faith in him, as evidenced by the jersey number he’s donning.

Players are synonymous with their jersey numbers. It becomes an identity, and certain numbers carry special weight. They’re never hollow, either. The digits are woven in not only with threads and needles but with emotions. The stories behind why athletes pick specific numbers are almost always remarkable. Maybe homage to a favorite player, superstition, or historic lineage. Carson Beck’s number for the Canes falls in category 3. Beck, who wore #15 at Georgia, shall wear the #11 now. It was made iconic for the U by their legendary quarterback, Ken Dorsey. He wore the number 11 during Miami’s Natty run in ‘01. No other starting QB has worn it since—until Beck came down. Talk about a vote of confidence.

The number was vacated by WR Sam Brown Jr., who’s headed to the NFL. The promised land that Carson Beck, too, hopes to reach a year from now. The cliche gets thrown around too often. But this season really is make or break for him. There are no do-overs. No collegiate eligibility to lean back on. At least he can play in a system that saw Cam Ward thrive last season. The NFL is still far-sighted, though. For now, Beck will just focus on completing this final leg of his injury rehab smoothly and get to work pronto. Doing what he does best—air out that football.