Having roomed with Carson Beck for three years at Georgia, Tate Ratledge knows the former Bulldog quarterback better than most.

“Carson’s a great kid and very misunderstood,” Ratledge said of Beck, who transferred to Miami after initially declaring for the NFL Draft.

Depending on who you talk to, many Bulldog fans have differing opinions on the Jacksonville native. Some remember him fondly, others not so much. To some, he’s a bit of an enigma, with his affinity for fast cars and his well-known relationship with Hanna Cavinder, a member of the Miami women’s basketball team.

Not Ratledge, who said their relationship allowed him to relate better with Beck, whose personality has been described as “mercurial.”

“Obviously, Carson’s one of my best friends since I’ve been at Georgia. We lived with each other for three years, so me and him have a different relationship,” Ratledge said. “So, I knew how to approach Carson in different times and knew how the way I talked to him would affect him at the time. My goal throughout the season was to keep him as level-headed as possible.”

Marred by slow starts and dropped passes, Beck no doubt took his share of the blame for Georgia’s offensive issues last fall. In interviews, Beck admitted he did not always play as well as he did the previous season in 2023.

Georgia fans' last memory of Beck was the SEC Championship. After injuring his elbow on the final play of the first half, Beck returned to the game in overtime after the goal-line hit on Gunner Stockton. He handed off to Trevor Etienne, who scored the touchdown in overtime to beat Texas and win the SEC Championship.

“I didn’t even realize it was Carson until after I snapped the ball,” center Jared Wilson said. “Even when we were in the huddle, I didn’t realize it was Carson. I was just so locked in on the play and trying to get in the end zone.”

After originally declaring for this year’s NFL Draft, Beck changed his mind and will reportedly make between three and four million in NIL deals with the Hurricanes.

Ratledge fully expects his former teammate to be in Indianapolis next year for the 2026 NFL Combine.

“Carson has the opportunity to be the top quarterback coming out next year,” Ratledge said. “I mean, he’s shown it before. He just had a little bit of an off year this year, and that’s nothing against him. But I think him going down there is a great place for him to go rebound from what happened last year and have a great season.”