Mario Cristobal isn’t about to let history repeat itself. After a solid 10-3 season, he’s got his eyes on a national title for Miami, a feat the Hurricanes haven’t pulled off since 2001. With Cam Ward off to the NFL, the pressure is on Carson Beck, the former Georgia quarterback with a chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove. Beck had a rough 2024 season, battling injuries and tossing 12 interceptions, but Cristobal isn’t leaving anything to chance. He’s shoring up every crack that Kirby Smart might’ve ignored, tightening the reins on Beck’s protection and firepower.

Last year, Beck took a beating at Georgia, partly because their rushing attack was a shadow of its former self. The Bulldogs averaged just 124.4 rushing yards per game—an all-time low under Smart. That’s nearly 50 yards fewer than even his least productive rushing team in 2020. It wasn’t just a dip; it was a full-on collapse. And that’s exactly what Cristobal aims to avoid. As ROC Boys Football host Jason Piacelli pointed out, Miami’s 2025 run game looks like a different beast. “A bold prediction…two running backs going for over a thousand yards for Miami in the 2025 year. Not only is it one of the better running back duos that you see in the country, it’s behind an offensive line that we think is one of, if not the best, in the country,” Piacelli said.

So, who are these backs ready to carry the load for Beck? First up is North Dakota transfer Charmar Brown, who racked up 1,181 yards on 244 carries with 15 touchdowns last season. Then there’s freshman Girard Pringle Jr. from Armwood, who punched in 1,199 yards and 19 scores in his high school swan song. Piacelli’s not alone in the hype. His co-host, Carl Piacelli, echoed the sentiment, saying, “The way they’re going to get the best out of Carson Beck is probably having these two guys take a lot of carries and play off play action.” Because that’s when Beck really thrived at Georgia—when the ground game set the tone.

And that’s not even the full arsenal. Miami also boasts Jordan Lyle and Mark Fletcher, two more backs with 1,000-yard potential. As Carl Piacelli put it, “Mark Fletcher is more of a physical power back, and Jordan Lyle is probably a little bit more explosive. I think pairing their skills hoods up—I think I’d want both of them touching the ball.”

But Cristobal isn’t just counting on the ground game to ease Beck’s load. He’s also addressing the other glaring issue that haunted Beck at Georgia—protection.

Carson Beck’s fresh start at Miami

Carson Beck enters his final college season with Miami, carrying high expectations and considerable pressure. The former four-star quarterback, who transferred from Georgia, now leads the Hurricanes’ explosive offense. After backing up Stetson Bennett, Beck excelled in 2023, leading the SEC with 3,941 passing yards and guiding Georgia to an undefeated regular season and the SEC Championship game. However, that run got wobbly in 2024, as his interceptions soared to 12 and his completion percentage fell from 72.4% to 64.7%. This erratic play raised concerns, prompting questions about his regression. ESPN’s Greg McElroy attributed the decline not solely to Beck, but also to his supporting cast.

McElroy didn’t mince words before calling out Georgia’s offensive issues. “What’s amazing to me, though, is that there are so many people that have pointed all of Carson Beck’s flaws out without acknowledging the inconsistencies of not just his wide receiver core, which led the country in drops, but also his offensive line,” McElroy said. That’s a straight fact. Last season Georgia recorded 36 drops. And because of that, Carson Beck paid the price.

“I thought his offensive line was so leaky at times last year that it was almost hard for Carson Beck to be comfortable at all,” McElroy said. “He got hit time and time again. And I think at that point, he got a little bit rattled because the offensive line was really struggling.” No wonder Beck’s season was all about struggles and inconsistencies.

But now, at Miami, Carson Beck gets a clean slate and Mario Cristobal’s fast-paced offense. “I still believe that he—now with Shannon Dawson and the young weapons that Miami has that are likely to break out this season—could find himself back very much in the mix as one of the top quarterbacks in the country,” McElroy said.

Not just that, former Oregon O-line coach Alex Mirabal has been brought in to shore up Miami’s front five, and that’s a big deal. On the receiving end, Miami has some promising targets like Joshua Moore, C.J. Daniels, and JoJo Trader, all poised to give Beck the kind of explosive options he lacked at Georgia. For Beck, this is more than just a fresh start. It’s a shot at rewriting his college legacy, something that seemed unlikely after last year’s struggles. With a revamped offensive line, a loaded backfield, and a deep receiving corps, the pieces are there for a breakout season. But it’s not just about fixing what went wrong at Georgia. It’s about proving that he’s more than just a talented arm with a rough year on his resume.