Inside Miami’s quest for return to glory: Carson Beck locked in, Mario Cristobal’s tireless efforts

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The autograph line circled the field inside the practice facility, a buzzing river of fans waiting to meet 80-plus Miami players stationed along the sidelines and in one end zone before the Hurricanes’ spring game on campus. Two makeshift lines splintered from the otherwise orderly ensemble  — one stretching from sideline to sideline toward coach Mario Cristobal, the other running parallel toward quarterback Carson Beck — as fans clutched footballs and posters, awaiting their moment to meet and shake the hands of Miami’s biggest stars.

Beck is no stranger to the attention. The former Georgia quarterback is a superstar on the field and a social media celebrity off it, but this is still new territory. He came here seeking a fresh start after a disappointing end to his career in the SEC, where he was 24-3 in two seasons as a starter but struggled last season as receivers dropped 30 passes and he threw 12 interceptions, the most by a Bulldogs quarterback since 2012. He tore a ligament in his right elbow before he could hoist the SEC championship trophy in December, and with his season finished, intended to enter the NFL Draft. 

That was before Miami came calling with an enticing offer: a rich NIL contract and a new start in Miami, where his girlfriend, TikTok celebrity and Hurricanes basketball star Hanna Cavinder, called home.

Behind Miami’s multi-million-dollar push for QB Carson Beck, who lands a top-tier NIL package to transfer

John Talty

The pitch, Cristobal said, was simple: replace future No. 1 NFL Draft pick Cam Ward in a proven offensive system and win a championship with a ready-made roster. Beck then researched the Hurricanes, focusing on the players’ morale and atmosphere in the locker room. After all, Miami had just wrapped up a 10-3 season, falling one win short of the ACC Championship Game and likely a spot in the College Football Playoff after a devastatingly bad showing by the defense throughout the season. Ward shattered records, but so did the defense.

“That s–t doesn’t bother him,” said Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson. “Even though filling Cam’s shoes around here seems big, to him it’s like, ‘Dude, stop. I followed a guy that won two national championships and then we won the SEC. This ain’t nothing for me. Y’all got beat in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.'”

Dawson, sitting inside his office overlooking the field as fans sought autographs, smiled.

“I like that mentality.”

Beck is a polarizing figure in college football because of his well-earned notoriety on the field as well as his celebrity status in social media circles. Rumors continue circulating about his relationship with Cavinder, who recently deleted every video Beck appeared in alongside her on her popular Instagram and TikTok pages. In February, the couple garnered headlines when their three luxury vehicles were stolen, drawing more eyes to their relationship.

Beck has remained silent and was not made available to CBS Sports for this story.

“My perception outside was probably the same as a lot of people,” Dawson said. ” I’m not a big social media guy, but I was like, hey, let’s get to know who this kid really is, and the more I got to know him, the more I found out he don’t like that s–t, really, either.

“He hasn’t been on social media one time. He’s a very private person and you’ve got to get through some barriers to get to know the real him. There are no distractions now. In a lot of ways, he’s a lot more relaxed. I think that did kind of bother him at times. I felt like that he felt like he had to do [social media] because when you’re with somebody, it is what it is, but it really wasn’t who he was. Let’s focus on ball.”

Beck’s off-the-field romance with a social media celebrity did not bother Cristobal during the recruiting process. Still, he understands why many outsiders have opted to focus on that storyline during the offseason, especially with Beck injured and unable to participate in spring practices. 

“Honestly, I think it’s great practice. I really do,” Cristobal said. “They’re gonna be subjected to that the rest of their careers. … If you don’t get used to dealing with that and tackling that, I mean, it’s a bonus, it’s a benefit. All that noise, the externals, get used to it, deal with it and learn how to flush it and move on. Because if that ever becomes part of you and your process, holy s**t, you might as well just swing the white flag. You’ve got no chance at that position. Like the guy last year (Cam Ward), this guy just wants to win.”

Beck is heavily involved at practices, shouting audibles and repeating a play’s cadence behind the offensive line as the backup quarterbacks run the offense. On Thursday last week, he phoned offensive line coach Alex Mirabal, requesting an impromptu meeting to review protection calls for the offensive line. Beck began throwing the football on Monday for the first time since his injury at the SEC Championship Game in early December.

“He’s been locked in ever since he came in,” said offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. “He’s a leader from Georgia, and he’s going to continue to lead out here and hopefully get us what we didn’t get last year.”

Can Beck replicate the production of Ward, who threw for 300 yards in all but two full games he played last season? Probably not, but Cristobal has crunched the numbers. He shows a reporter a printout of analytics comparing passer rating numbers and other data. On one side is Ward’s career, starting at Washington State, where he carried a hamstrung offense and suffered through turnovers; on the other side is Beck’s journey at Georgia, where receivers dropped passes last season after a much stronger debut in 2023. Their trajectories — and potential — are strikingly similar.

That doesn’t mean Miami’s analytics team projects Beck to throw for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns like Ward did a year ago. More concerning is the loss of the 1,800-plus receiving yards produced by Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George. 

In other ways, Miami could replicate the production in the aggregate — the points, the yardage — with a “Moneyball” approach. At the very least, perhaps Beck can replicate the 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns with only six interceptions he threw in 2023.

“We lost a lot of production,” said Dawson. “These guys are young, but they’re talented. We’ll probably be, in a lot of ways … faster and more explosive. But, you know as well as I do, there are learning curves with young kids in games.”

Miami was one of the sport’s most thrilling teams last season. The Hurricanes started 9-0 with the nation’s No. 1 offense led by Ward, whose duality as a runner and passer produced highlight-reel plays and several incredible comeback victories. Still, there were weaknesses, which made the Hurricanes’ story all the more engrossing. 

Simply put, the defense was a mess. Communication on the backend of the defense was muddy, and players were too often in the wrong spot on the field. Miami somehow won four straight games in which opponents scored 34-plus points, but Ward and Co.’s offense could only offset so much for so long. The Hurricanes lost two of their final three games of the regular season, falling one win short of the ACC title game … and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

“In my 19 years coaching college, it was the most frustrating and disappointing season ever,” said offensive line coach Alex Mirabal, who grew up in Miami alongside his friend, Cristobal.  But I’m the most driven that I’ve been after a season.”

Unsurprisingly, Cristobal fired defensive coordinator Lance Guidry. He then hired fast riser Corey Hetherman from Minnesota, a disciple of Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, to install a scheme built on a four-down front with more disguised coverages and exotic blitzes.

“We recruited this team to be a four-down front,” Cristobal said. “Last year, jumping in odd, odd tight, that doesn’t work. You negate the effectiveness of (defensive end) Rueben Bain, an Ahkeem Mesidor. You can’t do that. Right now, they’re playing fast and free upfield. It’s crazy.”

Indeed, Hetherman was hired, in part, because of his connections to Schiano at Rutgers — and his incredible success in the Big Ten at Minnesota, which finished in the top 12 nationally in three major categories, including fifth in total defense. 

“Our style is launch technique,” Hetherman said. “We’re not a read-and-react defense. It’s not even stay in your gap, it’s get reach, get vertical.”

Cristobal was a graduate assistant at Miami when the school hired Schiano, who subsequently transformed the Hurricanes’ defense into a top-five unit as coordinator. 

“Corey Hetherman is elite, in my opinion. It’s almost like deja vu with Schiano coming here in ’99,” Cristobal said.

***

It’s the Friday before Miami’s spring game, five days before the transfer portal opens for a 10-day extravaganza of player transactions. As Cristobal speaks from behind his desk, his phone vibrates.

“The portal is always open,” he says in disbelief.

The portal does not exasperate Cristobal, nor do the endless hours combing through film and phoning recruits. He lives for this stuff. “I think it’s fun” he said, his voice rising, “in its own chaotic way.”

Indeed, more than 50 recruits are on Miami’s campus in mid-April, including the No. 1 receiver in the Class of 2026: LSU commitment Tristen Keys. Miami’s head coach approaches recruiting as if it is the 14th game of the season. 

“It’s a passion,” said Dennis Smith, Miami’s executive director of football and Cristobal’s right-hand man. “He enjoys it, the thrill of the chase and the competition that comes with it. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. We just outlast others.”

College football transfer portal superlatives: North Carolina, Miami, NIL rules in focus during spring window

Chris Hummer

Cristobal’s preparation is impressive, and his recall of names, including recruits’ family members, is stunning. Staffers are on call at all hours, and he often texts his senior coaches at 2 a.m. seeking information on players or to make plans for recruiting pitches.

“He’s the best recruiter on the staff,” Mirabal said. “He writes more letters than any of us. He sends more text messages than any of us. He’ll meet with over 50 or 60 kids today, and when he does, it’s not superficial. He’s setting the tempo, he’s setting the pace.  To him, it’s a competition; it’s a game. He doesn’t take the low-hanging fruit. He’s going after the top of the tree. It’s the hunt that drives him.”

Every school wins some and loses some in recruiting battles. Miami hit big with Ward last year, when the Washington State transfer seemed keen on jumping to the NFL after declining Miami’s scholarship offer and a massive NIL package on New Year’s Day. Twelve days later, after fending off several other suitors, Cristobal convinced Ward to play for the Hurricanes instead.

The ‘Canes enter this spring transfer season with the country’s No. 5 transfer class after signing the No. 13 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. One of those signees, receiver Malachi Toney of nearby Fort Lauderdale, reclassified from 2026 and enrolled early at Miami. He flashed his speed and shifty moves in the slot, and was the Hurricanes’ MVP of the spring scrimmage Saturday with eight catches for 106 yards.

“He’ll break every record here,” Smith whispered to a reporter after Toney scored on a 22-yard reception.

Indeed, recruiting is the lifeblood of every program. At Miami, it’s an obsession.

“You can be a great coach, but if you don’t have great players, you’ve got no shot,” Mirabal said.

If Cristobal’s mantra sounds familiar, it should. Nearly every word he says includes a tinge of Nick Saban’s philosophy. Cristobal spent four years on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff, fine-tuning his career after a failed stint at FIU. It launched him to Oregon and then back to his hometown, where he’s seeking to win Miami its seventh national title and its first since 2001.

“Everyone matters in the building,” Cristobal said. “Praise really, really good effort and reward performance — and don’t come off that. Everyone wants to be appreciated and everyone is a part of it. Everyone has a hand in it. No one is insignificant, no one is irrelevant. Everyone in the building, every hire, whether it be a volunteer, a student worker or high-level coordinator, everyone has an impact on somebody. So you take the time to make sure you choose the right people.”