Mario Cristobal had a season last year where it looked like anything was possible with QB Cam Ward at the center. A player who provided moments for Miami to relish forever and guided them to their first 10-win season since 2017. However, looking back, Miami fans would still feel not enough was done to capitalize on the incredible season of Ward and deliver some silverware. And that’s where Mario Cristobal failed.

However, starting in the 2025 season, the head coach has roped in another well-touted quarterback—Carson Beck. This player has everything to produce a season to remember and lead Miami deep into the playoffs. However, concerns still loom large, ranging from injuries to personal crises. Ever since the player’s arrival, he has been under fairly harsh scrutiny regarding his caliber and especially his personal life. In that case, the onus becomes greater to deliver.

On3‘s J.D. PicKell highlighted some of the concerns that are there for Carson Beck in terms of his leadership ability. “One thing we kept hearing about Cam Ward this time last year, was this that dude is an Alpha. This is his locker, this is his team, all those things. Now, for Carson Beck, it’s a little bit harder for him to be able to do that. When you’re not actually out there fully practicing with your guys. So it’s going to take some time as these things do.“

Well, that surely can make things complicated since Beck is still recovering from his UCL injury that occurred in the final game last season. Although he is attending the practices, his involvement in those drills remains extremely minimal. This has created troubles for Carson Beck, as he is unable to create team chemistry and personal relationships. Even more, this has enabled other QBs to challenge his place as QB1. However, there are other concerns…

Last season, Beck posted 3,485 passing yards at a 64.7% completion rate while playing for the Georgia Bulldogs. His stats were a downgrade from 2023 – both in terms of Beck’s achievements and for the Dawgs. There are particular concerns about his tendency to stare down wide receivers and also his turnovers that could hinder his development at Miami. Moreover, his high profile and publicly exposed lifestyle aren’t helping his image in any way. But Cam Ward has another theory about Carson Beck.

Cam Ward’s message for Carson Beck

Cam Ward was a player at Miami who had the locker room following his tunes. He was a real leader for Miami as he became the first Heisman finalist for Miami since 2002. Furthermore, he will cement his legacy in the Canes’ books after he is potentially selected as the No. 1 draft pick. And most of all, Ward had no baggage like Carson Beck with the $4 million tag and rumors about his girlfriend linking to distraction.

Cam Ward asked the same about Carson Beck. If the player can make his legacy and perform in Miami’s offense. Ward addressed Beck directly and sent a message of advice to him. “To be yourself (Ward advised Beck). Don’t really look at the stat sheet and what I did this year, because, at the end of the day, it wasn’t hard. In a Coach Dawson offense, you should at least throw thirty touchdowns a year. I did that in four games at UIW so it’s not hard to break records here. But I think the biggest thing that I would tell Carson is just be himself, and try to win games at the end of the day. They can talk bad (as much as) they want about you, but if you win games you got the one up on them.”

Well, Miami’s OC and QBs coach Shannon Dawson really has revitalized the offense of Miami. Last year, the Canes ranked 1st (in the nation) in scoring offense at 42.9 points per game. In total offense, again, Miami was ranked first and accumulated a whopping 536.2 yards per game. In pass completions per game, Miami was ranked 8th nationally at 25.2 passes completed per game. So, yes, Beck can surely thrive in Coach Dawson’s offense. The only thing that remains to be seen is his recovery from injuries and roll back his heroics of the 2023 season in which he just ran riot in every game he played.