UM’s Bain moving up draft boards while Beck remains polarizing. Here’s why
With his physical gifts and superb start to the season, Hurricanes defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. might end up injecting himself into the discussion for the first overall pick in next April’s draft, ESPN draft analyst Field Yates said.
But despite his pretty good start to the season, UM quarterback Carson Beck remains a polarizing prospect.
Neither Yates nor ESPN colleague Mel Kiper Jr., the dean of draft analysts, rates Beck among the top five draft-eligible quarterback prospects.
Kiper’s top five: South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, Oklahoma’s John Mateer, Penn State’s Drew Allar, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
Kiper said Beck is among four other quarterbacks who could crack his top five, depending on how the season plays out.
Yates’ top five, in order: Sellers, Mateer, Mendoza, Oregon’s Dante Moore and Aller.
On their weekly podcast with Mike Greenberg, neither Kiper nor Yates was ready to anoint Beck.
Kiper said Beck is definitely not in the mix for the top overall pick.
“Carson Beck has around him a tremendous array of talent,” Kiper said. “That offensive line is outstanding. He has a running game. He has got the receivers stepping up. He forces [the ball sometimes downfield] but they [his receivers] make plays. He’s not off his best game this past week [against Florida].
“Basically, he’s trying to re-establish himself. I’m going to wait it out with Carson Beck. He’s going to be 23. He’s not one of these young guys.”
Yates said Beck “has very good size, has an absolute cannon for an arm. There is a lot of that with Carson Beck. The problem I see with Carson Beck and the area that would prevent me from having him in top overall pick is the ball placement has been way too erratic.
“Quarterbacks on some of these throws that travel 5 to 8 to 10 yards down the field, so much of their job is not just hit the receiver but hit the receiver in the right spot, give the receiver the opportunity to run after the catch, [allow the] receiver to protect himself from a potential big hit. Ball placement has to be better for Beck. He has been trusting too much on throws down the field.”
Yates then broached a topic that he says is “uncomfortable to talk about, but it has to be addressed because it will come up with Beck.”
Last December, Beck said: “I don’t enjoy watching football, I know that sounds kind of crazy. It’s not fun for me. ... So if I watch that game [Texas vs. Texas A&M], I’m not going to be able to sit there and enjoy it; I’m going to stress myself out the whole entire time. ... It’s stressful for me because I don’t ever give myself a break when it comes to football.”
Yates then made an issue of it on the podcast, which spawned an interesting discussion with Kiper.
“I get it,” Yates said. “I just know how the scouting world works. And I know how I like my quarterbacks wired. You’ve got these maniacs who eat, drink and breathe football. Last year at Georgia, when scouts went through there, for all of his physical gifts, one of the questions was ‘how is the player wired?’
Expect UM coach Mario Cristobal and offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson to push back hard on that potential concern with NFL scouts and executives. Beck has been praised by teammates and coaches for his role in player-led workouts and his leadership skills.
Beck noted this week that he didn’t take time off during UM’s bye week. “Work. That’s all I do,” Beck said. “Once it’s football season, it’s time to go. It’s time to work, watch film, get in the weight room, try to recover your body, and get back into game shape.”
Entering Saturday’s game at FSU (7:30 p.m., ABC), Beck leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in completion percentage at 73.2, with 972 yards passing, seven touchdowns and three interceptions..
As for Bain, Yates said he “might be in the conversation for the No. 1 player in the draft. He has been absolutely brilliant this season.”
Dane Brugler, The Athletic’s draft analyst, said Bain is “the most impressive defensive prospect for the 2026 draft that I’ve seen so far this season. It’s not even close.”
Besides his 22 quarterback pressures and two sacks in four games, Bain also is an “elite run defender,” Brugler said.
This story was originally published October 2, 2025 at 2:57 PM.
