When the 2026 NFL Draft is held in Pittsburgh, Commissioner Roger Goodell could walk onto the stage and announce a team’s pick: “Carson Beck, quarterback, Miami.”
By then Georgia football fans will have probably come to grips that the two-year Bulldogs starter went to “The U” for his final college season.
It was a whirlwind last week on Beck’s reversal of going from declared for the NFL Draft to heading to the transfer portal to quickly landing with the Hurricanes.
There’s a lot to unpack. Let’s dive in.
Beck was ranked as the No. 5 quarterback prospect by all four of ESPN’s draft analysts, but Dane Brugler of the Athletic only had Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders projected as first-round quarterbacks.
Brugler posted on X about Beck going in the portal: “Makes more sense than being a 4th round pick in April.”
Beck underwent elbow surgery on Dec. 23 to repair his ulnar collateral ligament, which would have limited him in the pre-draft process.
Beck entered last season in the conversation as the top quarterback, and even NFL No. 1 overall pick, but now he ranks 32nd nationally in pass efficiency. He’s 13th this season in passing yards per game at 268.1 and threw 28 touchdowns, but his 12 interceptions tied for third most nationally.
Those came in bunches during a six-game stretch. He did not throw an interception in his last four games of a season that saw the Bulldogs struggle with drops and offensive line play.
NIL riches will continue at Miami
The figure I got when I reached out to a source who works directly in the NIL space before Beck to Miami was public was that a Power 4 quarterback with Beck’s experience could make around $4 million.
For perspective, Will Levis in 2023 got a $3.94 million signing bonus as a second-round pick of the Titans and got an average annual salary of $2.39 million in a four-year contract, according to Sportac.
The $4 million figure was the same that was reported later by others, including CBSSports.com.
Beck’s marketing agency, ESM, told Front Office Sports that Beck secured nearly $10 million in combined NIL deals in the past 12 months.
Beck posted on social media last offseason about driving a Lamborghini Urus Performante — which can cost more than $300,000 — and flying a private jet.
When Beck went through his mid-season struggles, it made him even more of a target in some circles for flaunting his NIL gains.
Dan Everett of ESM told the Athens Banner-Herald then that the Lamborghini “was not associated with any NIL deal,” and all of his NIL arrangements were shot in the summer and his focus was on the team and included teammate inclusion.
