Cam Ward’s advice to Carson Beck as he takes over as Miami Hurricanes quarterback
At this point last year, Cam Ward was in the position that Carson Beck is in now. He was the Miami Hurricanes’ new quarterback, a veteran who transferred in for his final season of collegiate eligibility hoping to raise his draft stock.
Things worked out well for Ward, who set just about every notable single-season record for a UM quarterback on his way to being a Heisman Trophy finalist and very likely the No. 1 overall pick in next month’s NFL draft.
So what advice would Ward give to Beck as he attempts to follow up Ward’s efforts?
“I think the biggest thing that I would tell Carson is just be himself and try to win games,” Ward said Monday after UM’s Pro Day. “At the end of the day, they can talk how bad they want about you, but if you win games, you’ve got the one-up on them.”
Ward led Miami to a 10-3 season in 2024, the Hurricanes’ first 10-win season since 2017. They started 9-0 and had an inside track to make both the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game and the 12-team College Football Playoff before dropping two of their final three regular-season games and then ultimately losing in the Pop-Tarts Bowl to wrap up the campaign.
In his one year at Miami after spending two seasons apiece at FCS-level Incarnate Word and then Washington State, Ward set the Hurricanes’ single-season school records for completions (305), passing yards (4,313), passing touchdowns (39) and completion percentage (67.2 percent). He was Miami’s first Heisman Trophy finalist since 2002 and could potentially become just the third player in the Hurricanes’ storied history to be selected first overall in the NFL Draft, joining quarterback Vinny Testaverde in 1987 and defensive tackle Russell Maryland in 1991.
Beck has a track record of winning from his time at Georgia. He went 24-3 during his two seasons as a starter at Georgia. That included leading the Bulldogs to the SEC Championship Game last season before sustaining a season-ending elbow injury in that game. Beck has not yet gone through a full practice with the Hurricanes while rehabbing that injury.
Statistically, Beck was dominant in 2023, his first season as Georgia’s starter. He completed 72 percent of his passes for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns against six interceptions.
He took a step back in 2024. In 13 games, he completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,485 yards and 28 touchdowns but also threw 12 interceptions — tied for the most among quarterbacks at Power 4 schools this season — before sustaining the elbow injury in the second half of the SEC Championship Game.
Beck has 51 pass plays of at least 30 yards over the past two years. He’s cerebral and knows when to audible at the line of scrimmage.
But Ward said Beck should be able to thrive at Miami. Ward praised offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s scheme for being quarterback friendly.
“Don’t really look at the stat sheet and what I did this year, because at the end of the day, it wasn’t hard,” Ward said. “You’re talking about a quarterback playing in coach Dawson’s offense. You should at least throw 30 touchdowns a year.”
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