Miami QB Beck 'itching' to get back on the field

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Miami quarterback Carson Beck said Tuesday he feels "really good" and is 100 percent headed into the start of fall camp later this month.

Beck, who transferred from Georgia to Miami last January, had surgery last year on his right elbow to repair his ulnar collateral ligament, which he injured in the SEC championship game.

As a result of the injury, he was unable to participate in spring practice with the Hurricanes. But he said he has felt healthy since the beginning of the summer, when he was fully cleared for offseason workouts and will be full go for fall camp.

"It's been a really good summer," Beck told ESPN during ACC Kickoff. "The thing I'm most excited about is just being back out on the field. That was the hardest thing for me, was being away from the game. I'm just itching to be back out on the field, being with the guys."

Beck started at Georgia for two seasons, going 24-3. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. had him rated as the No. 5 quarterback for the 2025 draft. But he said given his injury and the uncertainty it created around his future, he opted to return to college.

But rather than return to Georgia, he entered the transfer portal and chose to go to Miami, where he will replace Cam Ward, who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans.

"Everything has a shelf life, and I think the shelf life there [at Georgia] was over, and it was just time to start something new, to get into a new program, to start a new chapter of my life, my career."

Beck said the fit so far at Miami has been "awesome."

"I get a new start, a fresh start with new guys, new coaches," Beck said. "So the biggest thing is the guys around me, do they share the same values? Is the OC going to push me and coach me to be a better player and ultimately, a better quarterback? All those things fit my approach, they fit the way I play the game. And that's ultimately what led to me going to Miami."

Miami coach Mario Cristobal said, "We're looking for the best version of Carson Beck. Carson has as good of experience as a quarterback as you can have. He's played in monster games, and he's played at a high level.

"Even though he missed spring practice, soon after he's been cleared and he's been participating and doing everything with our team for several weeks, and that's a lot of opportunities."

Beck, who struggled at times last season with consistency, said he does not feel like he has anything to prove post-injury but also said he needs to "just be myself."

"That's what I got away from at times last year was trying to be Superman, trying to save the day," Beck said. "That's not what's needed. What's needed is just play, right? The more efficient I am, the more efficient our offense is, the more positive plays we have, the more we're going to score.

"I just want to play football and have fun, and that's what I think I'm looking forward to most."