Where things stand with Carson Beck’s injury as Hurricanes near end of spring practice
The Miami Hurricanes are longing for the day that quarterback Carson Beck will be able to finally take part in a full practice, ready for when his surgically repaired elbow is at the point where he can sling a football at full force and showcase what he can bring to the offense.
That day is still a bit of a ways away.
Beck, who transferred to Miami this offseason from Georgia and is recovering from right elbow surgery to repair a torn UCL sustained during the SEC Championship Game in December, is still mostly doing work off to the side as the Hurricanes’ spring practice window nears its end.
Coach Mario Cristobal, speaking after practice Thursday (the Hurricanes’ 11th of 15 this spring that will culminate with the team’s spring game on April 12), said Beck is “progressing well” and that he is “probably a little bit ahead of schedule” with his rehab.
“I know everybody would like to see him throw it and really wing it out there,” Cristobal said. “Again, everything is ahead of schedule, and we’re excited about his progress, excited being around him because of his level of football IQ, the way he understands the game. There’s just a natural presence about him. But I guess I’ll save all that talk for when he’s actually practicing so you guys could get a real-deal feel, get some some good tape and some eyes on him so you can see him practice.”
In the meantime, Beck is doing what he can to stay engaged with his new team even without being able to fully participate in practice.
“You’ve got to take as many metal reps as you possibly can,” Cristobal said. “It comes in the form of meetings on the chalkboard and walkthroughs during the course of practice, being behind the quarterbacks, getting every signal, communicating, verbalizing, making sure he’s going through his audibles — any check, any adjustment protections. Meeting with the offensive line coach, meeting with the coordinator at length, daily. I mean, every possible minute we could grab with him to continue the progress of this while the rest of his body progresses is invaluable. So that’s what we’re doing.”
Offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa said Beck has been constantly talking with the offensive line about his approach on the field and what he likes in terms of creating a pocket and pass protection plans in specific situations.
“I feel confident about this guy,” Mauigoa said. “He comes in and talk to us about, like, ‘Hey, can I do this? Can I do that? Can I set the protection this way?’ I know this guy’s gonna come in and that brings us confidence. He’s been a great guy.”
The communication portion between Beck and the offensive line at this stage is integral, Mauigoa said, because this will help speed up the learning process when Beck is actually able to get into live reps.
“That communication is elite,” Mauigoa said. “Now we know when he comes in that we’re not starting from the bottom, but we’re continuing on from what we left off. We don’t want to go back. We want to keep striving forward.”
In the meantime, the rest of Miami’s quarterbacks — redshirt sophomore Emory Williams, redshirt freshman Judd Anderson and true freshman Luke Nickel — are taking advantage of the reps they are getting with the offense while Beck is sidelined.
“Obviously, it’s invaluable,” offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said earlier this spring. “Reps are the main thing. It is crucial to their development, for sure.”
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