Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal took playful shots at Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart regarding quarterback Carson Beck.
Beck spent most of his collegiate career with Smart and the Bulldogs. He won two national championships with them as a reserve before embracing the full-time starting role for two seasons.
Beck eventually departed for the Hurricanes for his final year of eligibility. The move turned out to be a major success, leading Miami to the national championship game before losing to Indiana.
Cristobal enjoyed having Beck as his quarterback throughout the 2025 season. So much so that when he joined the stage at the ceremony for the Steve Spurrier First Year Coach Award on Monday, he talked about Beck as he took shots at Smart, who was also in attendance.
“To watch what a player like Carson Beck can do with great coaching,” Cristobal said.
“If it wasn’t for all his years of pre-NIL, we wouldn’t have NIL right now.”
NEW: Mario Cristobal had JOKES for Kirby Smart tonight💀
“…to watch what a player like Carson Beck can do with great coaching.”
“If it wasn’t for all his years of pre-NIL, we wouldn’t have NIL right now.”
(via @theleoreport)pic.twitter.com/UmoZxLRULv
— On3 (@On3) February 24, 2026
How Carson Beck, Miami played throughout 2025 season
It was a humorous moment for Mario Cristobal and Kirby Smart to share as fellow coaches. Nonetheless, both of them got to see Carson Beck have a great collegiate career at Georgia and Miami.
Beck went 24-3 throughout his 27 starts with the Bulldogs, showing off his qualities before injuries shut him down in 2024. He returned to strong form with Miami in 2025, going 13-3 throughout his 16 starts.
Beck enjoyed the best season of his career with the Hurricanes, completing 338 passes for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He made solid efforts to get Miami to the national championship game, making big plays down the stretch in the CFP.
Cristobal and the Hurricanes will look forward to the 2026 campaign, their sixth year together. After enjoying the program's best season since the early 2000s, they will look to build on that momentum as serious contenders at the national level.
