Miami's Carson Beck Continues to Prove His Worth in the College Football Playoff
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GLENDALE — The NIL evaluation for Carson Beck to be a Miami Hurricane was $4.3 millon, but many question if that was too much money for a quarterback coming off a career-changing injury.
Throughout the College Football Playoff, the Miami Hurricanes (12-2, 6-2 ACC) leaned on their run game and defense against Texas A&M and Ohio State, with Beck making plays when needed. In those games, he never passed over 150 yards, but managed the game well as many expected him to do throughout the season.
However, against the Ole Miss Rebels, more was needed from one of the country's best quarterbacks. Beck entered the game calm and collected, but was rattled in the first half. He missed several open targets and threw some questionable balls that were hard for his receivers to track.
Beck entered as one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the country and the most accurate coming out of the ACC. Soon, he would start to find his rhythm, first throwing a 53-yard bomb to star wide receiver Keelan Marion to give the Hurricanes a 17-10 lead over the Rebels.
Carson Beck was 0-9 passing 15+ air yards in the CFP prior to his deep TD to Keelan Marion in the 2nd quarter 👀 › pic.twitter.com/8rCceP0kko
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) January 9, 2026
Beck would soon begin to heat up. Making all the right throws and getting the ball in the right spot. These were not the hospital balls he was throwing at the beginning of the game; this was the $4.3 million man in action.
Beck would throw for another touchdown, but it was more the work of superstar freshman Malachi Toney, showing that there are levels of athletes being played on the field. However, the Canes still found themselves down three late in the fourth quarter.
A home game for the National Championship was lying in wait, and the ball was placed in his hands with three minutes remaining. The narrative around Beck had been that he was an outcast who couldn't get the job done when it counted. This was also the time to show everyone that he could make the right plays at the right moment and be a well-rounded quarterback when a storied program needed him most.
Even with one of the best winning quarterback records in the past 20 years, all it took for Beck was one bad ball to airmail and end up in the arms of the Rebels. Beck had been hit or miss throughout the game against his former SEC foe, while also trying to overcome self-inflicted penalties in Miami.
Carson Beck’s resume if Miami wins the National Championship:
— College Football Report (@CFBReport) January 9, 2026
• 3 National Titles
• 2 Conference Championships
• Led Miami to its first 13 win season ever
• 39-5 as a starter pic.twitter.com/P1xvXNgyCM
Beck's tab was picked up because of what he did on the final drive of the game. First, it was a complete pass to CJ Dainels, where he fought for a gritty first down. After there were a few attempts down the field that nearly got held on to. Beck was locked in and laser-focused.
56 seconds remained when Beck took another snap, placing a perfect ball in the hands of Marion once again on a massive 3rd & 10 that the gains gained 20 off of. Time ticked away with both coaches holding on to timeouts, daring one another to use one first.
Beck, with 27 seconds remaining on a 2nd & 11, found Marion again for another first down, forcing the Rebels to start using their timeouts and putting the Canes inside the ten-yard line. This game was going to either go to overtime, or a play would be made.
The first snap went to CharMar Brown, who rushed up the middle for a solid gain, but it was clear that the Hurricanes and Beck were going for the win. Beck took the second snap, gazed to the left, scrambled to his right, and glanced back over to his left like he was a chicken crossing the road and skipped into the endzone with 13 seconds remaining in the game. It would seal the win for the Canes and send them to a home National Championship game.
"It's been unbelievable," Beck said postgame. "Obviously, almost exactly a year ago, I made a decision to come to this university. I remember me and Coach Cristobal talking on the phone for the first time. I was sitting in Jacksonville in my house in my room, and I just had a big smile on my face and he had a big smile on his face. He said let's get to work.
Carson Beck 23/37, 268 YDS, 3 Total TDs, 1 INT vs Ole Miss 2025 CFP Semifinal.pic.twitter.com/FP0mPXGVpn https://t.co/aMjI00WIJB
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) January 9, 2026
"I believed in his vision. I believed in what he's been able to build here and add on to the culture of what Miami is. Man, what an unbelievable year. It was never easy. It was never perfect. There were a lot of ups and downs. There was a lot of adversity that not only I faced individually, but that we faced as a team. We really banded together and showed that we believe in connection; that we just don't fake it. This team is really a family. If our team really wasn't like that, I don't know if this win happens tonight. We really band together, we believed in each other, and we never flinch in the face of adversity."
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.