Miami quarterback Carson Beck delivered many memorable moments in college football over his five seasons at Georgia and Miami. Beck has won many games for both teams, even leading the Hurricanes to the national championship final this past season.
Almost every football fan is talking about who will be the next quarterback picked in the 2026 NFL Draft after Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. Names like Ty Simpson and Garrett Nussmeier come to everyone’s minds. Still, analyst Louis Riddick believes Beck can give everyone a run for their money at the QB2 spot, given his recent success at center with the Hurricanes.
Louis Riddick Is Raring To See How Carson Beck Performs in the NFL Draft Combine
Riddick was a guest on the “Rich Eisen Show” on Monday to discuss the upcoming draft combine, which runs from February 26 to March 1 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The ESPN college football analyst was asked about the quarterbacks he believed could rise to the occasion at the combine and become the second quarterback selected in the draft after Mendoza.
Riddick told Eisen he wants to see how Beck throws after coming so close to a national championship. He also wants to know how the Georgia transfer would stand out and remain authentic during upcoming interviews with general managers, presidents, and other officials from all teams participating in the draft.
“The people down in Miami, they thought the last month of the season heading into the national championship game, he was playing the best he’d ever played,” Riddick said. “They had full confidence in the fact that this guy had the ability on and off the field to really lead your football team. They thought he really grow he grew into that role.”
The analyst believes the draft combine is an opportunity for a quarterback like Beck, who has been overshadowed by fellow signal-callers Ty Simpson and Garrett Nussmeier in various NFL mock drafts, to prove he deserves to be picked in the first round of this year’s draft.
He initially mentioned Simpson and Nussmeier because their skills could merit a Day 1 draft mention in Pittsburgh this April. But Riddick noted that Simpson played only one full season as QB1 at Alabama, having spent the first two as a backup.
The former NFL player turned analyst said that despite a lack of full-time experience, Simpson is skilled and poised to stand out for his excellent footwork, field vision, and other attributes that could make him a star.
“He is a smooth operator. He’s got great feet. He has got great field vision,” Riddick said of the Alabama signal-caller. “He can layer that football all three levels. He can throw it with accuracy. He can throw it outside the pocket. He can scrim. He can do all those things. So, he is the one who I’m glad he’s going to throw cuz I think he’s going to stand out.”
MORE: Ty Simpson Risks It All As Fernando Mendoza Sits Out NFL Combine Drills
On the other hand, Nussmeier was a preseason Heisman favorite and a future first-rounder until LSU’s 2025 campaign fell off the rails amid issues that led to the firing of coach Brian Kelly last October. Riddick wishes the quarterback were healthy and had reached the point where he could rotate and throw the football with consistent fundamentals and mechanics.
Among the three, Simpson has the highest QB Impact Rating, per PFSN. The Alabama quarterback was rated 85.4 after completing 64.3% of his passes for 3,268 yards and 28 touchdowns, with 5 interceptions. Beck had an 83.3 rating, highlighted by a superb 74.7% completion rate, and threw for 3,072 yards with 25 TDs and 10 INTs. Nussmeier had a 75.9 rating on a 67.4% completion rate and compiled 1,927 yards with 12 TDs and five INTs.
Quarterbacks, wide receivers, and running backs are scheduled to take the field at the draft combine on Saturday, February 28, from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, the NFL announced.
