Former Miami Hurricanes QB Carson Beck Entering New Waters

While the 2026 college football season reaches the final stretch, in NFL news, former Miami Hurricanes star quarterback Carson Beck is scheduled to start for the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.

Head coach Mike LaFleur made the announcement on Wednesday. After the Cardinals traded regular-starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett, then Gardner Minshew was placed on the injury reserve with a season-ending right arm torn UCL.

Meanwhile, Beck was behind the scenes waiting for this opportunity.

"Obviously, this is a dream of mine," he said. "To be a starting quarterback in the NFL. When I got the ball, I was super excited. I was ready to play right then and there."

The 24-year-old was a third-round pick (No. 65) in this year's NFL Draft. Beck spent six seasons in college football, five at Georgia, then a one-and-done situation with the Coral Gables program.

In Athens (GA), the former four-star recruit spent three seasons (2020, 2021, 2022) behind Stetson Bennett, who delivered two National Championships for the Bulldogs. In 2023, Beck was named the starting quarterback. He led the Southeastern Conference with 3,941 passing yards while throwing for 24 touchdowns.

Despite having the opportunity to bank on a high draft stock, Beck decided to return to Georgia with hopes of winning a National Championship. However, the production wasn't as strong as before. While he threw for 3,485 passing yards in the 2024 college football season, the former Bulldog star led the SEC with 12 interceptions. Beck still had a strong draft stock until a UCL right-arm tear occured in the championship game against Texas.

Uncertainty started to rise and the NFL prospect withdrew from the draft and entered the transfer portal.

Beck returned to the Sunshine State and signed an N.I.L. deal with the Hurricanes, who had lost star quarterback Cam Ward to the pros. It was a significant gamble on head coach Mario Cristobal's part, as the UCL injury required a lenghty recovery. However, he made the right call, as Beck led the program to its first National Championship in over 20 years.

Despite suffering a 27-21 loss to Indiana, it marked a successful turnaround for the Hurricanes and elevating the internal standard.

Sunday will mark Beck's NFL Debut. The only professional football action he had was in the preseason Hall of Fame game against the Carolina Panthers. Despite suffering a 33-30 loss, Beck completed 15 of 19 passes (78.9 percent) while throwing for 188 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions.

The biggest test will be handling NFL pressure. In Beck's final season in college, he only completed 28 of 58 passes (48.3 percent) in 89 dropbacks when the pocket was collapsed.

It's the first step for potentially the future of the franchise.

More Miami Hurricanes News:

- "Why the Miami Hurricanes Struggle to Generate Quarterback Pressure"

- "UM Men's Basketball Dips in Latest AP Poll, Dominate North Florida"

- "Does the Miami Hurricanes' Offensive Line Need Immediate, Drastic Changes?"