Browsing: Carson

The early-season Heisman push for Carson Beck hit a major stumbling block on Friday night when he threw four interceptions in Miami’s 24-21 upset loss to Louisville.

Speaking to reporters after his disaster performance, Beck could only say he “laid an egg” and has to be better to keep the Hurricanes in the playoff mix.

“It’s a good thing we play 12 games and not just one,” Beck said. “That’s the biggest thing we have to realize is there’s more opportunities. We’ve been very successful this season and, shoot, we laid an egg tonight. I have to prepare better, I have to play better, and I’m going to do that, and come back with fire.”

Miami had climbed up to No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll this week after starting the season 5-0, including marquee wins over Notre Dame and Florida State. It was the program’s highest ranking since the 2017 team started 10-0.

Beck, who transferred to Miami in January after receiving a reported $4 million NIL deal, looked like a bargain at that price entering Friday. He threw for 1,213 yards, 11 touchdowns, three interceptions and a 73.4 completion percentage in his first five starts.

Friday was the first time in 45 career starts that Beck has ever thrown four interceptions in a game. If there is a reason to be concerned going forward, he has been turnover-prone in recent weeks.

All seven of Beck’s interceptions have come in the last four games (120 total pass attempts). He is just one week removed from going 20-of-27 for 241 yards with four touchdowns and no turnovers against Florida State.

This is part of the Beck experience going back to his time at Georgia. He had 12 interceptions last season, all of them coming in the span of six games from Sept. 28 to Nov. 9.

Louisville entered this game unranked but a solid 4-1 record that included a tight 30-27 loss to a Virginia team currently ranked No. 18. The victory over Miami will almost certainly push the Cardinals into the top 25 when the new poll comes out on Sunday.

The loss dropped Miami to 1-1 in ACC play, but it doesn’t have any remaining games against teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 this season. This group is still good enough to win the conference and make the playoff, even if the margin of error went down on Friday night.

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As the Mets head into a critical offseason, they will certainly need to be aggressive in pursuing veteran players — via free agency or trade — across the roster.

One thing that must remain a constant is the need to infuse young, quality players into the mix on a yearly basis. Some years will yield more than others, but the sign of a functioning player development system is avoiding multi-year gaps in generating young talent for the big league roster.

The 2025 season was mostly about pitching, with Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproatand Jonah Tong being the most notable prospects to make their big league debuts. On the position player side, no young players debuted, but the Mets did get larger sample sizes of Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, and Mark Vientos.

As David Stearns begins shaping the 2026 roster, he’ll have to strike a careful balance: leaving open opportunities for top-end young prospects to break through, while also ensuring the team is built to win from Opening Day on.

Two positions in the lineup stand out as key areas for improvement: second base and center field.

The Mets’ top two hitting prospects — infielder/center fielder Jett Williams and outfielder Carson Benge — both finished the year at Triple-A and were recently ranked among MLB Pipeline’s top 30 prospects in the sport.

Williams had a bounce back season after missing most of 2024 due to wrist surgery, posting an .828 OPS with 34 doubles, seven triples, 17 home runs, and 34 stolen bases over 130 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. He played all three up-the-middle positions defensively (shortstop, second base, and center field), with evaluators I speak to liking him best at second base.

Benge, the Mets’ first-round pick in 2024 out of Oklahoma State, had a breakout first professional season. He torched High-A and Double-A pitching, posting a .926 OPS with 24 doubles, six triples, and 12 home runs in 92 games. After a promotion to Triple-A, he suffered a wrist injury that sidelined him for nearly two weeks. While his overall stat line at that level wasn’t eye-popping, he finished strong with a 1.132 OPS and two home runs in his last seven games of the season with Syracuse.

Defensively, Benge was a right fielder in college but played more center field as the 2025 season progressed. The Mets were impressed with how his reads and reactions improved as he got more reps. He may never be a Gold Glover out there, but there’s real belief that he can handle center field at the next level thanks to his athleticism and plus throwing arm.

While Williams and Benge are getting close (I project both to make their big league debuts in 2026), it should be considered highly unlikely that either will be ready to claim a starting role on Opening Day.

This is where that balance comes into play.

David Stearns / USA TODAY Sports/SNY Treated Image

I believe Tyrone Tayloris a winning player, but he profiles best as a fourth outfielder on a contending team. The Mets should be looking into an everyday type of center fielder, ideally on a short-term deal, who can also help shore up their run prevention.

Free agency offers limited options.

A reunion with Harrison Baderis possible, or the Mets could look across town at Trent Grisham.Grisham’s Yankee teammate Cody Bellinger posted -1 outs above average in center field in 2025. He likely fits better in a corner spot and is expected to land a long-term deal.

On the trade market, the Mets could again investigate Luis Robert Jr. of the White Sox, who is owed $20 million in 2026 (assuming Chicago picks up his option), and there is a club option for the same amount in 2027. He was playing better leading up to the trade deadline when the Sox surprisingly kept him, and he is a plus defensively.

Second base presents a more convoluted scenario. The Mets don’t necessarily have to look externally. Brett Baty showed versatility in handling second base, and there are also young options like Luisangel Acuña and Ronny Mauricio. That said, there are legitimate questions about whether Acuña’s bat fits for an everyday role, and it’s unclear whether Mauricio can sustain second base defensively over a full season.

Jeff McNeilremains the incumbent. He had an above-average offensive year in 2025 and graded out at +4 outs above average defensively at second base. He is owed $15.75 million in 2026, with a club option for the same in 2027.

However, as the Mets look to shake up their position player group, McNeil stands out as a potential trade candidate. It may require the Mets eating some salary, but he could be flipped for pitching help, and they could then explore adding a second baseman.

Free agency presents a few intriguing options. Alex Bregman would be a bold acquisition. He’s a proven winner, an elite clubhouse presence, and can play either second or third base. Signing him would represent a significant shakeup to the core of the roster. Bregman is expected to seek at least a four-year deal this winter.

Ha-Seong Kim, who has a $16 million player option for 2026, would be an excellent defensive and athletic fit if he hits the market. He would also bring 20–30 stolen base potential to a team that could use more athleticism. Luis Rengifo,while coming off a down offensive year, graded out at +4 OAA at second base. He brings similar versatility to McNeil.

On the trade market, Brandon Loweof the Rays is a name to watch. According to SNY’s Andy Martino, the Mets have discussed him in the past. He’s owed $11.5 million on a club option in 2026 before hitting free agency. Lowe hit 31 home runs in 2025, but his defense has been a mixed bag over the last couple years. In He ranked last among second basemen in outs above average at -13 this past season. The question here would be if he would help the run prevention enough, or if he would be looked at more as a designated hitter who can play second base.

At his end-of-season news conference, Stearns noted when asked about position players like Benge and Williams: “I think incorporating young players into the mix is part of winning, and part of winning consistently. We can’t shy away from doing that.”

Benge and Williams have a chance to soon become key members of the core of this Mets offense. The key will be for the Mets to more than adequately cover themselves at center field and second base, so they get performance both offensively and defensively until the young reinforcements are ready to make an impact. That time is coming, and is among the reasons for excitement heading into 2026.

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No. 3 Miami took down No. 18 Florida State by the final score of 28-22 at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, as the Hurricanes were fueled by a strong performance from Carson Beck.

Beck was efficient both in and out of the pocket, finishing 20-of-27 for 240 yards and four touchdowns without committing a turnover.

Fans called for the senior quarterback to earn more Heisman Trophy consideration.

Miami’s defense was also stout throughout the contest, holding Florida State to just three points through three quarters.

The Hurricanes’ offense found the end zone twice in the first half, highlighted by a 44-yard flea flicker touchdown pass from Beck to Malachi Toney early in the second quarter.

Head coach Mario Cristobal’s team eventually put the game away with a 14-point third quarter, giving Miami a 28-3 lead that was too much for Florida State to overcome.

Toney was Beck’s top target throughout the game, as the true freshman hauled in a season-high seven receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior wideout CJ Daniels also caught five passes for 78 yards and a pair of scores for the Hurricanes.

Meanwhile, Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos couldn’t find any type of rhythm against Miami’s secondary. Castellanos finished 25-of-45 for 272 yards and two touchdowns, but was picked off twice.

The Seminoles also struggled to get their rushing attack going, averaging 3.5 yards per carry despite picking up 132 yards on the ground at a team.

Miami improved to 5-0 for the second year in a row, while Florida State fell to 3-2.

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Miami quarterback Carson Beck says it was “never” his plan to spend his final year of collegiate eligibility with another program after spending five seasons with Georgia.

Beck transferred to Miami in January, less than three weeks after suffering a season-ending elbow injury while playing for Georgia in the 2024 SEC title game.

“The ending was tough because it obviously wasn’t part of my plan,” Beck told Darien Rencher about his Georgia career Friday’s episode of I AM ATHLETE. “I never wanted it to end that way, right? I didn’t want to go down in the SEC championship game, get injured, and ultimately end up making the decision to go elsewhere. It was never a part of the plan.

“Ultimately, sometimes, it’s God’s plan, it’s not your plan. So just going with that, and trusting in Him that ultimately this is where I was supposed to be.”

Beck’s final game with Georgia ended when he suffered a right elbow injury in the first half of the SEC championship game last December.

Backup quarterback Gunner Stockton came in to lead Georgia to the win, although the Bulldogs’ College Football Playoff ended with a Sugar Bowl loss to Notre Dame.

One week after Georgia’s elimination from the playoff, Beck entered the transfer portal. He committed to Miami the following day.

CBS Sports’ John Talty and Chris Hummer reported after the transfer that Beck was expected to receive a $4 million NIL package for the 2025 season.

Beck, who underwent elbow surgery in December, completed his rehab in time to join Miami for the start of the 2025 season.

“I think the hardest part for me wasn’t that I was just transferring,” Beck told Rencher. “I was transferring after suffering a major injury. So being in the process of rehabbing, not being able to throw… it was very difficult. And then not only that, but everything else that kind of was going on in my life at the time, and having to move schools, move places, deal with the injury, deal with what just happened the season before.

“It was a lot. It was very mentally taxing.”

Beck is so far off to a strong start to his final college season, helping Miami improve to 3-0 and claim its first win over a ranked opponent by defeating host Tennessee last Saturday.

He will look to help No. 2 Miami improve to 4-0 with another road win against No. 8 Florida State this Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

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