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Inside Carson Beck’s move from Georgia to Miami: NIL, injury timeline and optimism on offense

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Inside Carson Beck’s move from Georgia to Miami: NIL, injury timeline and optimism on offense

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — New Miami quarterback Carson Beck arrived on campus Saturday afternoon with a smile on his face, a brace on his surgically repaired right elbow and an eager offensive coordinator waiting to shake his hand.

“Nice to finally meet you in person,” Hurricanes offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson told the 6-4, 220-pound gunslinger who led Georgia to the SEC championship and a 24-3 record over the past two seasons as the Bulldogs’ starter before entering the transfer portal.

“So, when are you going to start throwing?”

Beck, who walked onto campus flanked by a person affiliated with Miami’s name, image and likeness collective, is reportedly set to make $4 million to start at quarterback for Miami this coming season. But The Athletic has heard through multiple sources briefed on his recruitment the number he’s set to receive from Miami channels is closer to a little over $3 million, roughly double the $1.6 million Heisman Trophy finalist Cam Ward earned through Miami’s collective (not including additional deals with Adidas, Bose and others) when he led the No. 1 scoring offense in college football this past season.

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Beck, who won’t start throwing again for a few months due to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury he sustained in Georgia’s SEC title game win against Texas, was the only quarterback Miami’s coaching staff really wanted. Staffers told The Athletic he spent the day Saturday breaking down film with Miami’s coaches while freshmen and other transfers began moving in on campus.

Dawson was not excited about any other quarterback who had entered the portal or was expected to enter the portal this offseason. The Hurricanes liked Texas’ Quinn Ewers, but no one really knew what he was going to do once the Longhorns were eliminated from the College Football Playoff. NFL evaluators have projected Ewers anywhere from the third round to the sixth round. (Ewers told ESPN before Friday’s Cotton Bowl semifinal that he expected to leave for the NFL. Texas lost to Ohio State 28-14.)

Miami, meanwhile, spent time trying to gather as much information as it could about Beck once he declared for the NFL Draft in late December, on the chance he ended up in the transfer portal instead. Studying the film, Dawson felt Beck’s 2023 season was elite. This year, Beck didn’t play as well, but the Bulldogs weren’t as good around him, especially without Brock Bowers or Ladd McConkey catching passes. While Bowers and McConkey starred as rookies in the NFL, Georgia’s receivers led all Power 4 programs with 31 drops. The Bulldogs also dealt with injuries on their offensive line, allowing 1.79 sacks per game (58th among FBS programs).

Dawson also reached out to Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who had been Beck’s coach at Georgia from 2020 to ’22. Monken had nothing but praise for Beck, calling him an elite talent.

Beck doesn’t have the same demeanor as Ward — he’s quieter — but there aren’t many like Ward. The more Miami studied all its options, Dawson believed Beck was by far the best available. His quick release and accuracy stood out, as well as his ability to process. He’d played in a lot of big games and in tough situations. He also moves better than Ewers.

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The other compelling factor: Beck, like Ward, is highly motivated to prove himself to NFL teams in his final college season. Miami believes it is putting Beck in a similar situation to flourish as it did with Ward, who also declared for the draft before deciding to return for another season of college football and transfer.

“Watching his success and what he was able to do and the position he’s in now (with the NFL Draft) made (Miami) very attractive to me,” Beck told 247Sports Saturday when he emerged from Miami’s football offices about five hours after arriving on campus.

Adding another experienced receiver to the roster, though, is a priority. Miami has already picked up LSU transfer CJ Daniels, who has started 30 games in his career, and has blue-chip talents in Jojo Trader and Ny Carr entering their second seasons.

Landing Beck could help the Canes attract more talent. Miami coaches can’t count how many times receivers in the portal would ask them, Who’s gonna be your quarterback?

The rest of the offense isn’t in bad shape. Four starters are back on the offensive line, and Miami also picked up TCU starting center James Brockermeyer in the portal. Ex-Tulane tight end Alex Bauman, a big red zone target with seven touchdowns last season, will complement talented freshman Elija Lofton as middle-of-the-field targets. Miami’s backfield, which led the ACC with 5.7 yards per carry, brings back talented sophomore Mark Fletcher and speedy freshman Jordan Lyle.

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Beck arrived in Miami on Saturday, the day after publicly committing to the Hurricanes.

Miami thought the only negative with Beck was his injury, which will sideline him for spring practice. Dawson talked to a handful of people who have dealt with the injury, including 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy’s private quarterback coach Will Hewlett. Purdy came back from a torn UCL and started throwing again some eight to 10 weeks after his surgery. All of the feedback Miami got said the same thing: Beck’s injury wasn’t that bad, and his recovery outlook is pretty clean. Beck, a Jacksonville, Fla., native, is expected to be around for spring ball to acclimate with his teammates and learn the offensive system.

Miami’s staff is still high on sophomore Emory Williams. In 2023, he beat Clemson in his first career start after an injury to Tyler Van Dyke and almost beat a Florida State team that went 13-1. But he didn’t look ready to take over for Ward when he replaced the Hurricanes’ NFL-bound QB in the second half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

After winning 10 games for only the second time since joining the ACC in 2004, Miami couldn’t go into Cristobal’s fourth season without a star at quarterback. But the Hurricanes didn’t want to take a guy just to take a guy.

In Williams, they believe they have a 6-5 prospect who is extremely accurate and made some big-boy throws to beat Clemson in 2023. The question, though, is whether he’ll stick around past the spring. Frank Ponce, the quarterbacks coach who recruited Williams to Miami, is now an assistant down the road at FIU. The Hurricanes have two other scholarship quarterbacks: 2025 blue-chipper Luke Nickel and 2024 three-star Judd Anderson, who both played their high school football in Georgia.

Miami’s personnel people charted dozens of potential QB transfer prospects. The verdict: It was not a good crop, not even as good as last year’s. Dawson probably ended up breaking down about 10 who merited deeper consideration.

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South Dakota State’s Mark Gronowski, who had led the Jackrabbits to two FCS national titles, spoke with Miami. Dawson liked him and was going to fly up to Sioux Falls to see him, but the trip was canceled after he heard Gronowski might need surgery. Gronowski ended up signing with Iowa, and the Hawkeyes confirmed he would have surgery in the coming weeks and would not begin on-field workouts until June.

Miami native Fernando Mendoza was another possibility for the Hurricanes. The former Cal starter had committed to Indiana right before Christmas. But even two weeks later, some Miami folks believed Mendoza would come home if the Hurricanes offered him. The Canes staff liked him, but in their eyes, he didn’t have Beck’s talent.

When Beck’s camp let Miami know he was planning on entering the portal, the Canes figured they had a good shot. It helped that they had a track record with Ward, who had gone from a fifth-round draft projection to a potential top-10 pick, and also that Beck’s girlfriend, Hanna Cavinder, plays on Miami’s basketball team.

Saturday, Beck’s transfer journey from Athens to Miami reached its destination.

(Photos: Manny Navarro for The Athletic)

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Sports

High school basketball: Thursday's playoff scores

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High school basketball: Thursday's playoff scores

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

CITY SECTION

Animo Bunche 28, Animo Pat Brown 17

Chavez 33, Monroe 4

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Collins Family d. CALS Early College, forfeit

Kennedy 65, Van Nuys 34

Marquez 51, Elizabeth 15

Maywood Academy 33, Torres 26

New West Charter 28, University Prep Value 27

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Smidt Tech 14, LA Leadership

South East 59, Jordan 31

BOYS

CITY SECTION

Aspire Ollin 42, Annenberg 39

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Marquez 74, Elizabeth 38

Middle College 45, Stella 26

Monroe 48, Chavez 25

Poly 79, Grant 46

Port of LA 87, Dymally 77

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Sherman Oaks CES 85, VAAS 53

Simon Tech 39, AHSA 26

Sylmar 69, San Fernando 60

Van Nuys 59, Kennedy 57

Westchester 94, University 46

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GIRLS

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION 1

#1 Ventura 63, Thousand Oaks 40

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#16 Crean Lutheran 44, Orange Lutheran 39

#9 Marlborough 50, El Dorado 39

#8 Rancho Christian 81, Mira Costa 64

#5 La Salle 48, Flintridge Prep 33

#12 Chaminade 52, Claremont 45

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#13 Santa Margarita 56, Redondo Union 47

#4 Harvard-Westlake 71, Rialto 45

#3 Moreno Valley 61, Rancho Cucamonga 40

St. Monica 70, #14 St. Anthony 65

#11 San Clemente 80, Valencia 64

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#6 JSerra 66, Bonita 39

Riverside King 60, #7 Buena 52 (OT)

Esperanza 56, #10 Westlake 53

#15 Corona Centennial 66, Villa Park 43

#2 Brentwood 80, Heritage 45

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DIVISION 2AA

#1 Buena Park 66, Lakewood St. Joseph 59

West Torrance 51, #16 Crescenta Valley 31

#9 Campbell Hall 47, Glendora 45

#8 Portola 57, Camarillo 50

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#5 San Juan Hills 67, San Dimas 50

Diamond Bar 57, #12 St. Margaret’s 54

Summit 28, #13 Long Beach Poly 34

Oak Park 58, #4 Oxnard 36

Beckman 52, #3 Crossroads 41

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#14 Palos Verdes 51, Valley View 44

#11 Hart 59, San Jacinto 52

South Torrance 46, #6 Shadow Hills 34

Lynwood 66, #7 Los Osos 56

#10 Lakewood 58, Corona Santiago 50

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#15 Dos Pueblos 53, Saugus 49

#2 North Torrance 74, Paramount 66

DIVISION 2A

#1 Burbank Burroughs 40, Millikan 12

Village Christian 44, #16 Dana Hills 35

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Marina 70, #9 Placentia Valencia 51

Pioneer 56, #8 Oaks Christian 49

Sonora 59, #5 Antelope Valley 47

Torrance 46, #12 Los Alamitos 45

Corona at #13 Rolling Hills Prep

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#4 Fountain Valley 48, Bishop Alemany 46

#3 Chino 84, United Christian Academy 44

Corona del Mar 38, #14 Yorba Linda 31

#11 Brea Olinda 49, Fontana 31

Oak Hills 56, #6 Eastvale Roosevelt 46

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Trinity Classical Academy at #7 Segerstrom

Notre Dame Academy 57, #10 Canyon Country Canyon 55

La Canada 49, #15 Aliso Niguel 29

#2 Rosary Academy 62, Pasadena 41

DIVISION 3AA

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#1 Orange County Pacifica Christian 43, Troy 35

Chaparral 48, #16 Murrieta Valley 45

Santa Fe at #9 Godinez, Friday

Downey 55, #8 Arcadia 47

Mark Keppel 55, #5 Long Beach Jordan 23

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#12 South Pasadena 77, Moorpark 48

#13 Oakwood 59, Carter 22

#4 Highland 59, Holy Martyrs 50

Cerritos 60, #3 Lancaster 40

Beaumont 60, #14 California 27

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Ridgecrest Burroughs 54, #11 St. Bonaventure 49

#6 Great Oak 58, Grand Terrace 49

#7 Diamond Ranch 67, Rowland 59

#10 Culver City 52, Yucaipa 40

Huntington Beach 45, #15 Immaculate Heart 31

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#2 El Segundo 68, South Hills 44

DIVISION 3A

#1 Lawndale 34, Santa Monica 32

#16 Alta Loma 56, Glendale 53

#9 Gahr 56, Yeshiva 25

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Shalhevet at #8 Loma Linda Academy

#5 Desert Christian Academy 55, Coachella Valley 42

El Toro 45, #12 Ontario 38

Ramona 66, #13 Hemet 52

#4 Twentynine Palms 50, Pasadena Poly 40

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#3 La Serna 34, Santa Ana Foothill 30

#14 Whitney 40, Bishop Amat 37

Eastside 69, #11 Geffen Academy 36

#6 El Rancho 49, Rio Hondo Prep 41

#7 Palm Desert 47, Coastal Christian 34

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#10 Temescal Canyon 67, California School for the Deaf Riverside 48

Cantwell Sacred Heart 52, #15 Hesperia 35

#2 Temecula Valley 65, Sierra Vista 50

DIVISION 4AA

#1 Savanna, bye

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#16 Laguna Beach 46, Silver Valley 34

#9 Heritage Christian 61, Linfield Christian 49

Irvine 39, #8 Apple Valley 36

#5 Tesoro 44, Hesperia Christian 22

Foothill Tech 48, #12 Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 31

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Redlands East Valley at #13 Maranatha

Lancaster Desert Christian 49, #4 Temecula Prep 40

Vistamar 24, #3 St. Lucy’s 20

#14 Westminster La Quinta 51, Silverado 37

Anaheim 64, #11 Santa Clarita Christian 36

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Gardena Serra 55, #6 Northview 29

#7 Santa Paula 63, Elsinore 41

Tustin at #10 Canyon Springs

Milken 42, #15 Hawthorne MSA 34

#2 Leuzinger 49, Dominguez 43

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DIVISION 4A

Riverside Prep 58, #1 Sherman Indian 40

#16 West Covina 37, Rancho Verde 36

San Marino at #9 Mayfield, Friday

#8 La Mirada 56, Orange 42

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#5 Laguna Hills 46, San Jacinto Valley 33

#12 Schurr 43, Temple City 38

#13 Santa Maria Valley Christian 50, Colton 34

University Prep 36, #4 Packinghouse Christian 21

#3 La Palma Kennedy 41, Lucerne Valley 22

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#14 Arrowhead Christian 49, Woodcrest Christian 41

#11 Oxford Academy 46, Faith Baptist 43

Nogales 33, #6 La Quinta 31

#7 Warren 53, CAMS 22

Thacher 40, #10 Newbury Park Adventist 38

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#15 Pilibos 53, Duarte 52

San Luis Obispo Classical at #2 San Jacinto Leadership Academy

DIVISION 5AA

#1 Loara, bye

#16 San Gabriel Academy 67, Santa Barbara Providence 19

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#9 Fullerton 49, Fillmore 20

#8 Hillcrest 53, Adelanto 34

#5 Nordhoff 66, AB Miller 50

Avalon at #12 Westminster

Capistrano Valley Christian 37, #13 Anza Hamilton 34

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#4 Costa Mesa 65, St. Genevieve 48

Indian Springs at #3 Environmental Charter

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 69, #14 Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian 7

#11 Patriot 62, Acaciawood Academy 6

Perris at #6 Los Amigos

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#7 Charter Oak 44, Bell Gardens 37

#10 Santa Ana 41, Carpinteria 37

Western Christian 53, #15 Victor Valley 47

Rancho Alamitos at #2 Redlands Adventist Academy

DIVISION 5A

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#1 Riverside Notre Dame, bye

Citrus Hill 49, #16 Riverside Bethel Christian 27

Sacred Heart LA at #9 Rosemead

Desert Hot Springs 64, #8 Excelsior Charter 26

#5 Arroyo Valley 29, South El Monte 28

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#12 Banning 51, Edgewood 48

#13 Bolsa Grande 44, Southlands Christian 24

Ganesha 57, #4 Summit View West 15

Pasadena Marshall 48, #3 Mesa Grande Academy 22

Jurupa Hills 48, #14 San Bernardino 25

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Mary Star of the Sea 51, #11 Santa Clara 15

Saddleback at #6 La Sierra

Workman 33, #7 Webb 20

Gabrielino 55, #10 Calvary Baptist 21

#15 Villanova Prep 53, NOVA Academy Early College 43

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#2 Shandon, bye

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NCAA committee recommends adding flag football as emerging sport for women

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NCAA committee recommends adding flag football as emerging sport for women

An NCAA committee recommended on Wednesday adding flag football to its emerging women’s sports program, a significant step toward it becoming an officially sponsored championship sport in all three divisions.

The NCAA said at least 65 schools are already sponsoring flag football at either the club or varsity level, with more moving in that direction. With a push from the NFL, flag football also has been added to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The NFL has vigorously promoted flag football for several years, including starting a global ambassador program in 2022. Domestically, the league and its teams have been pushing for flag football to be sanctioned as a varsity sport in high schools around the country.

Once in the NCAA’s emerging women’s sports program, flag football would need a minimum of 40 schools sponsoring it at the varsity level and meet minimums in games played and player participation to be considered for NCAA championship status.

The NCAA’s emerging women’s sports program was created to help facilitate more opportunities for women and give schools more opportunities to sponsor teams.

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The last sport to move through the program was women’s wrestling, which was approved last month to become the NCAA’s 91st championship sport. The first women’s wrestling championship will be held in 2026.

Five other sports are currently in the program: acrobatics and tumbling, equestrian, rugby, stunt and triathlon. Five sports have previously emerged from the program to earn NCAA championship status: rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003) and beach volleyball (2015).

(Photo: Isaiah Vazquez / Getty Images)

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Jets to move on from Aaron Rodgers after 2 seasons

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Jets to move on from Aaron Rodgers after 2 seasons

The New York Jets have made it official: They intend to move on from Aaron Rodgers. 

The team released a statement on Thursday that they are moving forward without the four-time MVP. 

“Last week we met with Aaron and shared that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback,” head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey said in a statement released by the team. 

FILE – New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) stands with teammates before an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Jan. 5, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J.  (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

“It was important to have this discussion now to provide clarity and enable each of us the proper time to plan for our respective futures. We want to thank him for the leadership, passion, and dedication he brought to the organization and wish him success moving forward.”

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Rodgers spent two seasons with the team, but suffered a torn Achilles just four snaps into his first game into his Jets tenure.

Returning from the season-ending injury in 2024, Rodgers’ Jets went 5-12 and fired both head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas during the season. 

Rodgers threw for 3,987 yards and 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 17 games for the Jets last season. 

“I personally want to thank Aaron for his time at the New York Jets,” said owner Woody Johnson in the statement. 

“His arrival in 2023 was met with unbridled excitement and I will forever be grateful that he chose to join us to continue his Hall of Fame career. From day one, he embodied all that it meant to be a New York Jet, embraced our fans, and immersed himself in our city. That is what I will remember most when I look back at his time here. He will always be welcome, and I wish him only the best in whatever he chooses to do next.”

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