Report: Carson Beck, Georgia myth dispelled, Alabama interest revealed

Turns out the Miami Hurricanes weren’t even the first college football program to reach out to Carson Beck when he hit the NCAA Transfer Portal last week.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was the first college coach to contact the now-former Bulldogs’ two-time national championship quarterback, followed closely behind by the Alabama Crimson Tide, according to USA Today’s Matt Hayes.

Beck signed with the Hurricanes less than 24 hours after formally entering the transfer portal Jan. 9 with a do-not-contact tag.

Georgia’s interest in bring Beck back to Athens would appear to fly into the face of the rampant speculation the Bulldogs — or more specifically their fans — were ready to move on from the quarterback that went 24-3 over the last two seasons as starting quarterback.

But arguably the biggest surprise was the apparent interest from Alabama and second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer. The reported call would appear to indicate the Crimson Tide are interested in bringing in a veteran quarterback out of the transfer portal to compete with 2023-24 backup Ty Simpson and four-star freshman Keelon Russell following the departure of two-year starting quarterback Jalen Milroe, who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft last week.

How Georgia transfer QB Carson Beck landed at Miami

Beck initially announced his intention to enter the 2025 NFL Draft on Dec. 28, five days after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair an UCL injury to his throwing elbow suffered on the final play of the first half of the SEC Championship Game against Texas.

Beck took over as Georgia’s starting quarterback in 2023 after two seasons as Stetson Bennett’s backup, and he made a strong impression. He threw for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns, leading some to wonder if he’d head to the NFL. However, he opted to return to the Bulldogs in 2024, which didn’t end well for either Beck or Georgia.

Beck threw for 3,485 yards and set a new career-high with 28 touchdowns, but struggled with ball security. He led the SEC with 12 interceptions – nine of which from Week 6 to Week 9. But his draft status got thrown in the air in the SEC Championship when he suffered a torn UCL, which later required surgery.

Despite the injury, which will keep him sidelined until after spring practice, Beck declared for the draft. Instead, he’ll be back for one more year of college football at Miami as the heir apparent to Cam Ward, who’s generating Top-5 draft buzz. Ward also declared for the draft last year, but instead entered the portal and committed to the Hurricanes, with whom he became a projected top pick.

After entering the portal, the sense was Carson Beck could land one of the more lucrative NIL deals in history. Dollars continue to roll in this transfer cycle, as On3’s Pete Nakos previously reported, and Beck became one of the highest-profile players to hit the portal this year.

Beck has an On3 NIL Valuation of $4.4 million, which ranks No. 5 in the college football NIL rankings. That figure also puts him at No. 6 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.

Nick Schultz contributed to this report.