Carson Beck is at the center of college football’s biggest stage, with Miami set to face Indiana for the national title on Monday night.But his path to the championship has been anything but clean, arriving with no shortage of debate and controversy along the way.Beck has Miami one win away from the national titleGettyBeck became a lightning rod online over the weekend after being asked about his current class schedule.His response, that he isn’t taking any classes, quickly ignited a wave of reaction and debate across social media.“Did you have class yesterday?” A reporter asked Beck.“No class,” Beck responded. “I graduated two years ago.”It’s easy to forget in the NIL era, but college players are still technically student-athletes. The money and exposure may have shifted public perception, yet the label remains.Beck, though, suggested that distinction doesn’t fit him at all — because he says he’s no longer a student.Beck explained that he isn’t attending classes because he has already graduated from Georgia. That clarification raises obvious questions about his academic status at Miami this season.If he hasn’t been enrolled there at all, it would seem to clash with the basic requirement that college athletes must be students at the institution they represent.Beck arrived at Miami as a graduate transfer, leading many to assume he was pursuing a master’s degree. Based on his comments, though, academics have clearly taken a back seat in his current situation.Beck and Miami appear to have navigated a workaround that allows him to devote himself entirely to football.Beck has helped reshape the culture at MiamiGettyThe Hurricanes are thankful Beck turned down the NFLGettyThat setup naturally provides an edge, freeing both player and program from the demands that typically accompany academics. It may sit poorly with some, but for now, that’s the reality they’re operating in.Graduate students often have much lighter or more flexible schedules, and because he is in his final semester of eligibility, he likely finished his required credits early.The rule-bending claim is more of a commentary on how the “student” part of “student-athlete” has become an afterthought in the NIL era.It’s the dark truth, but that’s college athletics in 2026.For over a hundred years, a rigid unwritten code governed college sports: players were expected to show unwavering loyalty to their school, accept their role regardless of playing time, and view the NFL as the only legitimate next step after a starting job.Beck, the former Georgia quarterback, didn’t simply bend the rule; he blew past it, underscoring a shifting landscape in which players place personal control and financial opportunity ahead of long-standing loyalty to a single program.Beck doesn’t have any class to attend and is solely focused on footballGettyThe story began in late 2024.After a grueling season that ended with a severe elbow injury in the SEC Championship, Beck faced a crossroads.Under the old rules, a multi-year starter like Beck, who had already won two rings as a backup, would have either declared for the NFL Draft or stayed to finish his career in Athens.Beck initially chose the traditional path, declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.However, when his draft stock dipped due to his injury and a late-season slump, he made a move that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.Instead of forcing a jump to the pros as a mid-round pick or returning to a Georgia program that was already moving on to backup Gunner Stockton, Beck withdrew from the draft and entered the transfer portal.He arrived in Coral Gables and now sits one victory away from a national championship with the Hurricanes, a win that would cement his place in college football immortality.Safe to say, he made the right decision regardless of whether he ever steps foot in a math class.