Carson Beck's Miami contract numbers show he made the right decision staying one more year in college

Carson Beck raised eyebrows nationwide this week, opting out of the NFL Draft and entering the college football transfer portal. The former Georgia Bulldogs signal-caller has now inked a one-year NIL deal with the Miami Hurricanes.

The 23-year-old QB goes from the SEC to the ACC, where he will take over for projected top pick Cam Ward. The Canes' offense was among the most explosive in college football this season. Beck won't provide the same dual-threat ability as Ward, but he's experienced in the pocket and equipped with an NFL arm.

Beck had originally declared for the 2025 draft, which was expected all along. He did not put together the best season in 2024, but Beck still came up large in several high-stakes games. No team was better at staging second-half comebacks this season than UGA. Moreover, Beck injured his UCL in the SEC Championship Game, which opened the door for Gunner Stockton. It was a natural transition point for the Georgia QB room.

Well, Stockton is indeed the starting quarterback in Athens moving forward. Beck goes to South Beach in hopes of winning the ACC under head coach Mario Cristobal. He brings five years of college experience to the Hurricanes program, with two years spent as UGA's undisputed QB1.

The reason for Beck's stunning reversal, however, is not a shot at the UGA program, nor a rebuke of the NFL. It's just a smart financial decision.

Carson Beck's Miami NIL contract shows decision to return to school was no-brainer

Beck will rake in $4 million next season at UM, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

That is compared to the $950,000 Tennessee Titans starter Will Levis made in 2024. So, Beck will get paid drastically more than a second-round pick. Considering that Beck could have fallen all the way to the third or fourth round in this draft cycle, it only makes sense to return to school in hopes of boosting his stock for 2026.

Lest we forget, Beck began the 2024 season as the projected No. 1 pick on a lot of NFL Draft boards. So did Texas' Quinn Ewers. We know how that panned out.

Beck, in just his second starting campaign for the Bulldogs, struggled with turnovers, throwing an SEC-leading 12 interceptions. He also saw his completion percentage dip almost eight points compared to his junior year. In short, the Jacksonville native delivered results well below expectations and his draft stock suffered accordingly.

Now, Beck will return to his home state in hopes of rebounding and rebuilding his draft stock. He won't have the benefit of such a weak QB class next time around — the 2025 draft is woefully short on obvious NFL talent at the position — but if Beck balls out in a dynamic, air-it-out Miami offense, he could experience a reputation boost akin to what Cam Ward did this season.

The Hurricanes need to figure out how to stop opponents from scoring, but that is beyond Beck's control. All he can do is lead the offense and put as many points on the board as possible. The Hurricanes led college football in total yards (537.2) and points per game (43.9) this season. That is an extremely QB-friendly system, which will allow Beck to align himself with proven pass-catchers and a bright play-caller on the sideline.

All in all, Beck is making the right choice here. He'll get more money than he would in the NFL, and he'll get a chance to rebuild his stock after a down year (leading to more money and opportunity once he does reach the pros). If Beck can put himself in the Heisman conversation, there's no reason to think he can't re-emerge as a first-round prospect in 2026.