Everyone might be hopping on the Carson Beck doubt train—but the numbers don’t lie. Stat-wise, he’s still one of the best quarterbacks in the country. And if we’re being real about conference strength, let’s talk facts. The new Miami QB should be cruising past ACC competition. But if the SEC is the gold standard, then the ACC might just get dog walked.

Don’t buy into the ACC slander. Last season, the conference had some of the best offenses and toughest defenses in the country—they just came up short when it mattered most. Miami? They led the nation in offense behind Cam Ward and were one win away from both the ACC title game and the CFP. Let Ward line up against a team like PSU or Boise State, and the script flips. So, the issue wasn’t the offense—it was the defense. Now, on paper, they’ve fixed that. Add a QB like Carson Beck—whose only college losses came against Alabama—and you’ve got the recipe for a career year.

But Carson Beck’s stock took a major hit on the June 18 episode of ESPN College Football. In a surprising twist, his name was nowhere to be found in Pete Thamel and Rece Davis’ top 5 quarterback rankings. The moment sparked buzz when Rece admitted, “No one said Carson Beck.” Pete backed it up, adding, “Correct. Nobody did say Carson Beck. I mean, there’s some tools there. I just — I need to — he has earned our skepticism.” Just like that, a preseason Heisman hopeful found himself on the outside looking in.

So why was Carson Beck left off the list? Rece Davis didn’t hold back, offering a refreshingly honest take. “Yes, I’ll say this about — you know, I’ve — we sort of made fun of ourselves here. Drew Allar might make me look like a complete knucklehead for not having him, like, number one. Arch may have too many growing pains. It may look ridiculous — number one — if Carson Beck proves himself to be the best quarterback in college football this year, I’ll just — I’ll applaud. I’ll say, ‘Good for you. Happy for you. Good to see good things happen to people.’ But I will have no regret over leaving him off this list at this point in the season,” said Davis. In short? No hate—just hesitation.

Here, Pete Thamel backed up the Carson Beck doubts with some honest context. The issue? A quiet spring. “Some of that’s just — we didn’t see anything in the spring. It’s really hard,” Thamel explained. He even pointed to Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard as an example, saying, “It’s really hard to come to a place where you’re handed the starting job, basically. And if you don’t practice right — you don’t have rhythm, timing, the offense, etc. — to just roll right in week one and produce like a slot machine.” Thamel kept it real: building chemistry takes time. “Synchronicity, continuity, all — synergy — all those things just take time to build. It’s very, — it’s very simple.” So, the bottom line? Talent matters, but timing is everything.

However, there’s no denying the talent. In 2023, Carson Beck lit it up—racking up 3,941 yards, 24 TDs, and just 6 picks. He led Georgia to a 12-1 season and crushed FSU in the Orange Bowl. With a sharp 72.4% completion rate, Beck ranked among the nation’s elite. But if the noise gets loud and his stock dips at Miami, the heat won’t fall on Beck—it’ll land squarely on Mario Cristobal. The spotlight is big, and so are the expectations.

Despite lingering doubts from the ESPN panel—possibly rooted in past concerns—Carson Beck is getting major love elsewhere. According to new PFF analytics, he’s landed in the top tier of college QBs. So, the numbers don’t lie, and Beck is earning elite status where it counts.

Carson Beck’s milestone marks a leap forward

After a thrilling run with No. 1 pick Cam Ward at the helm, Miami is now betting big on Carson Beck to keep the offense sizzling in 2025. Beck entered 2024 with sky-high expectations—championship dreams and No. 1 draft buzz. But the season turned into a nightmare, ending with a torn UCL in the SEC title game. Soon after, he hit the transfer portal and found a fresh start in Coral Gables. Now, he’s on a mission to revive his career and bring a title back to The U. While critics still doubt his ceiling, new data says Beck might be more locked in than anyone expected.

On Monday, Pro Football Focus dropped a data-heavy breakdown of the top QBs in CFB—and Carson Beck made serious noise. He landed in Tier One, under the eye-catching label: “Who Will Be CFB’s Next Star?” And PFF described this group with high praise: “This tier is filled with QBs on the cusp, each with a chance to break through and elevate both their stock and their programs.” However, the rankings were powered by one of PFF’s signature stats—Wins Above Average. This advanced metric calculates how many wins a player adds over the average QB, factoring in passing and rushing grades along with accurate throw percentage. In short? The numbers say Beck is ready to rise.

Sure, analytics aren’t everything—but they tell a compelling story. And the numbers say Carson Beck is built for a bounce-back. With a loaded roster, a high-powered system, and a chip on his shoulder, Beck has all the tools to shine. Now, if he takes that next step, Miami won’t just be dangerous—they’ll be a real threat in the playoff race.