Keionte Scott didn’t need many words to make his point Thursday night.
As Carson Beck made his preseason debut for the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame Game against Carolina, Scott jumped on X with a quick defense of his former Miami teammate: "Always was a good QB btw..."
Beck looked the part in a 33-30 loss, finishing 15 of 19 for 188 yards and a touchdown. He had 148 yards and a score by halftime, going 11 of 14, and ended the night with a 125.4 passer rating.
Scott and Beck spent the 2025 season together at Miami, where the Hurricanes reached the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Scott put together a big year of his own, posting 64 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. He earned second-team All-ACC honors and also took an interception back for a touchdown against Ohio State in the CFP quarterfinal.
Both players heard their names called in April. Arizona took Beck in the third round at No. 65 overall, making him the third quarterback selected behind Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson.
Tampa Bay picked Scott in the fourth round at No. 116.
Scott’s message was a direct response to the criticism that’s followed Beck for more than a year. Beck entered the 2024 season at Georgia with No. 1 overall pick buzz, but the turnovers piled up.
He threw 12 interceptions that year, including nine over a four-game stretch from mid-October to early November. He also had three-interception games against Alabama, Texas and Florida, and his interception rate climbed from 1.4% in 2023 to 2.7% in 2024.
The season ended with an injury, too. Beck tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on the final play of the first half of the SEC Championship Game and underwent season-ending surgery before transferring to Miami the following month.
That rough stretch became the loudest part of the scouting conversation, even though it didn’t define the rest of his college career. Beck was 24-3 as a starter at Georgia and, in 2023, completed 72.4% of his throws for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions.
He carried that level back to Miami. In 16 games, Beck completed 338 passes at a 72.4% clip for 3,813 yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He capped it by earning Fiesta Bowl MVP honors after throwing for 268 yards and two touchdowns and running for the winning score in a 31-27 victory over Mississippi.
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The same thing is happening on the other side of the ball, where the tight end room has been forced into a little more urgency after a summer injury changed the equation. Freshmen Gavin Mueller and Israel Briggs may have to help support Elija Lofton, and for Miami, the question is no longer just whether those players can flash in camp - it is whether the next wave can hold up when the season starts asking for real answers. [Read more 🡒]
Miami May Have A Growing Shannon Dawson Problem
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Keona Davis Could Be Miamis Answer To A Growing D-Line Concern
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One of the more intriguing answers is Nebraska transfer Keona Davis, whose appeal is rooted in versatility as much as talent. The Hurricanes need players who can absorb different assignments without disrupting the rest of the front, and Davis is being viewed as someone who can help in that kind of flexible role while the coaches continue sorting out where everyone fits. Whether he ends up on the edge or inside, Miami needs him to be part of the solution, and the bigger question is how quickly that answer comes together. [Read more 🡒]