What if your greatest win becomes your biggest downfall? Let’s be real. Mario Cristobal’s most impressive offseason move is bringing Georgia’s 5-year starter Carson Beck to Miami, thanks to the $4M NIL deal. Instead of declaring for the NFL draft, the 2x national champion flipped his loyalty from Kirby Smart to become a Hurricane in his final year of eligibility. His numbers speak for themselves—a 72.4% completion rate in 2023 and 3,485 yards in 2024, despite missing plays. But it’s not a perfect tale. And Beck’s injury is coming to haunt Miami before his career even began. 

How will Miami’s offense look under Carson Beck? JD Pickell breaks it down in a new On3 episode on February 24. “I think you’re going to see a lot more true to form of what Shannon Dawson’s offense is when it’s operating on script,” the CFB analyst pointed out. “Now to get that done, running game has to be on point, weapons have to be on point. Like if you lose Xavier Restrepo there’s no way to spin that up as positive. Everyone has to hold up to their end of the bargain.” But Pickell shared his concerns about Beck’s UCL injury in the SEC Championship game in December that’s going to leave him out of the spring practice. 

The injury in the Texas matchup forced Carson Beck out of the lineup for the remainder of the season. An official Georgia statement reassured fans that he would make a full recovery and begin throwing in the spring of 2025. “He’s gonna have to do a lot of the work in the film room and get his mental reps,” Pickell pointed out. But that still means no spring practices, no chemistry-building with Miami’s offense, and no chance to display his ability in open scrimmages.

South Florida insider Larry Blustein also echoed this concern, bringing Cam Ward in for comparison, who threw for 450 yards in the spring game and five touchdowns. “But the one thing that is going to be an anomaly with Carson Beck is we won’t see him till the Notre Dame game. And then, and that’s kind of concerning to a lot of people,” he said. There’s hope for Miami though, as Pickell added, “So for Carson Beck, not saying he won’t eventually do that, but without spring practice, it might be a little bit difficult to be on the same page that Cam Ward was when he was running the show.” And that’s not the only concern for Mario Cristobal heading into 2025. 

Mario Cristobal’s concerning coaching shakeups 

While the focus is on Carson Beck’s recovery, the situation in Miami’s coaching staff is equally turbulent. WR coach Kevin Beard, a key developer of elite receivers, is being pursued by Syracuse with rumors swirling about his departure from Miami. Meanwhile, the Canes OC Shannon Dawson is reportedly drawing interest from Ohio State as a potential replacement for Chip Kelly, who took an NFL job with the Las Vegas Raiders. If Dawson leaves, it could spell further instability for Beck’s transition into Miami’s system. 

And then there’s Will Harris, whom Mario Cristobal hired in February as Miami’s new safeties coach. He’s a big win, a proven recruiter from Florida set to bolster the Canes’ defense. While rumors surfaced that he was heading to the NFL, reports from 247Sports debunked that narrative to confirm he’s locked in on the Canes. Despite all these concerns, Miami isn’t devoid of talent. The O-line is solid, and receivers like Joshua Moore, Malachi Toney, and Daylyn Upshaw add depth. 

But with Carson Beck missing spring practice and potential coaching losses, Mario Cristobal has his hands full. Can Miami still make a run at the ACC title in 2025? Only time will tell, but the road ahead just got a lot bumpier.