Carson Beck walks into Coral Gables with a clear goal: Georgia’s past, Miami’s future. The Hurricanes have secured their starting quarterback, and Beck’s familiarity with Cristobal’s playbook is already extensive. Although he led Georgia to an 11-3 record last season, he faced criticism for inconsistent play, throwing costly interceptions while working with a struggling receiving corps. Now, with real talent, he aims to improve. And beyond his stats, Mario Cristobal highlights Beck’s positive influence in the locker room, emphasizing his impact extends far beyond the field.

Beck, seeking a fresh start after a bittersweet SEC run where he went 24-3 as a starter but faced 30 dropped passes and 12 interceptions (the most by a Georgia QB since 2012), isn’t new to the spotlight. A torn elbow ligament sidelined him from the SEC trophy, but now he’s got a shot at redemption in Coral Gables. He’s already making an impact, proving he’s not just here to sit; he’s here to shine.

And Mario Cristobal made sure that the entire nation knows why Miami’s putting all its hopes on Beck despite some visible setbacks. “Well, just that experience, experience in big games, understanding concepts, understanding coverages, understanding the check system, right? putting us ourselves in a play that’s advantageous to us and even just as importantly, maybe more importantly, getting us out of bad plays and sometimes just getting rid of the football when it’s not there when there’s nothing to be had except the negative play,” he said on the Miami Hurricanes podcast.

Look, Carson Beck’s journey at Georgia began quietly, spending three seasons on the sidelines before his breakout in 2023. Once he got his chance, he excelled, throwing for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns, and only six interceptions while leading Georgia to an undefeated regular season and a CFP semifinal appearance. With a 72.4% completion rate, he topped the SEC in passing yards, remained composed under pressure, and secured wins against four ranked opponents, including Ole Miss and Tennessee.

That season solidified his image as a calm, efficient quarterback who protected the ball. And the hype only intensified in 2024. Georgia was a title favorite, Beck was on every Heisman watchlist, and NFL scouts saw him as a potential first-round pick. He started strong, going 3-0, demonstrating his ability to lead the Bulldogs. Though interceptions and inconsistency followed, the bigger picture remained—Beck was more than just stats. He was a leader.

And that’s exactly what Mario Cristobal’s trying to point at, “So, I think when you combine all that plus the approach to the game, right, preparation on a daily basis, that right there is key for you got some older receivers that have a good process and you have some younger ones and some younger quarterbacks that have really benefited from learning from Carson’s process of preparation.” That’s right. Bulldogs were at the top last season in drops (36), so it’s not all on Beck.

Cristobal and his staff are equipping Beck with the tools he needs. They’ve brought in Cincinnati transfer Tony Johnson and former BYU receiver Keelan Marion to bolster the receiving corps. While this unfolds, Cristobal is also upfront about Miami’s plans to challenge Notre Dame freshman QB CJ Carr early.

Mario Cristobal gets real on CJ Carr

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman emphasized that choosing CJ Carr as the starting quarterback required him to “trust my gut.” The freshman edged out Kenny Minchey after a competition with minimal statistical difference. Carr, grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, makes his first career start in Sunday’s opener at No. 10 Miami, despite limited playing time last season. Freeman admitted the numbers weren’t decisive, leading him to rely on instinct.

Yet, Carr’s journey hasn’t been without hurdles. ESPN ranked him the No. 2 pocket passer and No. 36 overall recruit in the 2024 class, but an elbow injury in practice last September hampered his freshman year. He only briefly appeared in a lopsided win at Purdue and enters this season with virtually no college experience. But his HS resume speaks volumes about his caliber. As a senior at Saline in 2023, he threw for 2,754 yards and 24 touchdowns on 199-of-292 passing (68.1%) with 9 interceptions, plus 91 rushing yards and 9 scores on 59 carries. And guided his team to a 9-2 record and a second straight Michigan Division 1 playoff berth.

As the season nears, the pressure on CJ Carr increases, especially with the Miami game. And with that, even Mario Cristobal remains firm, detailing how the Hurricanes plan to challenge him while setting clear expectations. “Well, we expect to see him and possibly more quarterbacks, but you prepare for what they have done systematically; there may be some, you know, their coordinator time, but he’s spent time at other places as well, particularly LSU. So you take a deeper dive into, ‘Okay, this is what we might get, and how does our system fit in terms of defending what they do,'” said Cristobal.

Mario Cristobal also mentioned that players now develop at a faster pace because they train year-round. Then a lot of them hire trainers, enroll fast, or change their classification to play sooner. And with that, there are summer workouts that help freshmen to play like sophomores, and it keeps getting better. “So all in all, we certainly don’t judge. If he’s there playing, just like if a guy here is playing, he’s an excellent football player, and we’re going to prepare to the best of our abilities,” Cristobal added. Now, let’s wait and see if CJ Carr actually takes the pressure well or flinches against Cristobal’s defense.