Carson Beck’s NIL Deal Outpaces Some NFL QB Salaries

Collegiate quarterback Carson Beck is transferring from the University of Georgia to the University of Miami, signing an NIL deal that reportedly outpaces some NFL quarterbacks. The former No. 1 ranked high school quarterback and Georgia star will enter his sixth and presumably final collegiate season playing for the Miami Hurricanes.

Part of Beck's agreement to transfer to Miami includes an NIL deal package worth at least $4 million from the university's collective. And that's just the number we know of, according to On3. Some reports list Beck's earnings as nearly $10 million when including brand partners. 

For comparison, that $4 million figure competes with or outpaces the 2025 salary of dozens of NFL quarterbacks, from veterans like Joe Flacco to buzzy rookies like Bo Nix, and just about every non-veteran backup. The deal has been both lauded as heralding an unprecedented financial opportunity for college athletes and mocked by other players. 

Carson Beck's Move To Miami

Beck's move to Miami comes after spending 2020-2024 at Georgia. He started the last two seasons, leading the Bulldogs to a combined record of 24-4 and an SEC championship. Beck was injured in that championship game, opting to receive elbow surgery. 

Beck originally signaled his intention to go into the NFL draft and play professionally next season, paving the way for his University of Georgia successor Gunner Stockton. However, Beck then changed course and decided to stay in college for his final season of eligibility. Part of this decision was likely due to his projected position in the NFL draft, where he likely would not have gone in the first — or possibly even first three — rounds. Another year in college could improve Beck's draft prospects, sure, but he's already going to make more money through his NIL deal than he likely would've in this year's draft.

Interestingly enough, Beck is coming in to replace another transfer player in former Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward — one of only two quarterbacks projected to be drafted in the first round. Ward also transferred to Miami for his final season in college football after first playing at Incarnate Word and then Washington State. Ward reportedly transferred to Miami for several of the same reasons Beck presumably did — to improve his draft stock and take advantage of a rich NIL environment.

A New Wrinkle In How NIL Deals Are Reshaping College Football

While the past few years have brought plenty of interesting headlines around NIL deals and athletes, many of them involve recruiting players out of high school or convincing players to transfer schools. This may be the first time a college athlete's earning potential has been a major factor in actually keeping them around in college athletics a little while longer. 

While many schools are concerned they may only be able to keep top athletes for one or two seasons before they bolt for the professional leagues, the influx of cash from collectives, boosters, and other interested parties means players now have serious options to consider when it comes to how they choose to monetize their talents and brands.

Of course, it's important to mention that these major headlines and developments represent only one side of NIL deals. Thousands of athletes also do much smaller, but meaningful deals with companies and brands. There are plenty of players who may never get a chance to play at the professional level — or whose sport may not be as monetized as those like football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer — earning thousands of dollars a semester while building their brand and developing skills for the future. 

More Developments To Come

Beck's season will likely be watched more closely than ever now, especially if it translates to a serious boost in performance and viewership at Miami. Because ultimately there are two elements to how this plays out. The first, is whether or not the things Beck agrees to do to satisfy the terms of his NIL arrangement — like appearing at functions or endorsing products — improves the overall success of those events or products. Pretty much the same way any sponsorship or endorsement would.

The second is determining whether his playing at Miami leads to a tangible improvement in the program's success and bottom line. Both of those things can be a little trickier to measure than you might think without good tracking in place. However, at the end of the day collectives gather funds to pay athletes because they want those athletes to have a net positive impact on their university and athletic programs. Beck's eye-popping agreement could lead to even more interest in the space if it proves valuable. Or, if it's a "bust" in terms of the team's on-field performance, it may lead others to shy away from shelling out big bucks to attract top talent. 

As much as happened in the past four years since NIL has come to the forefront, we're still just starting to see what else could come. From players unionizing to players actually earning a cut of television revenue, it's a whole new world in college sports.