With the College Football Playoff National Championship loss now behind him, Mario Cristobal has already turned his attention toward the upcoming season. However, Miami will face another roadblock, this time in terms of offensive depth, as a sophomore quarterback appears to be on the move from the program. According to Pete Nakos of On3, an AAC program has emerged as the likely next destination.

For Emory Williams, the decision to leave Miami comes after limited opportunities behind starter Carson Beck. Williams appeared in just four games this season, completing 68.4 percent of his passes for 156 yards.

Since playing time is limited, the redshirt sophomore is likely to enter the transfer portal. Nakos reports that East Carolina Pirates are viewed as the most likely landing spot for Williams.

East Carolina finished the 2025 season in fifth place with a 9-4 record and could offer Williams a more straightforward path to meaningful snaps at quarterback.

A three-star recruit out of Milton High School, Williams arrived on the shores of Miami as the No. 627 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle. Over three seasons with the Hurricanes, he posted a career completion rate of 62.9 percent for 813 passing yards and four touchdowns.

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Even ESPN insider Pete Thamel weighed in on Emory Williams’ future, suggesting the Pirates are the clear frontrunners.

“He’ll have two seasons remaining. Williams is expected to target East Carolina as his transfer school, which is expected to be formalized in the upcoming days,” ESPN insider Pete Thamel said.

The move makes sense for East Carolina, which recently lost its starting quarterback, Katin Houser, to the transfer portal. Houser spent two seasons with the Pirates after arriving from Michigan State in 2024. In 2025, he completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 3,300 yards and 19 touchdowns, providing steady production at the position. His departure leaves a significant void, making Williams a logical priority target.

With Williams expected to move on, attention now turns to the Hurricanes and a pressing question facing head coach Mario Cristobal: Who replaces Carson Beck?

Can Mario Cristobal find a suitable replacement for Carson Beck?

Beck’s NCAA eligibility has expired after six collegiate seasons across two programs, and he is widely expected to prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft. His exit leaves Miami searching for a new quarterback, and the situation has become more complicated with Williams entering the portal.

One possible option is Darian Mensah from the Duke Blue Devils. The sophomore is considered an exciting prospect, having thrown for 3,973 yards, completing 66.8 percent of his passes, and contributing to 34 touchdowns. Another potential name is Alberto Mendoza, the younger brother of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.

Alberto served as Indiana’s backup this season and entered the transfer portal after the CFP Championship loss to Miami. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 286 yards and five touchdowns across nine appearances for the Hoosiers.

Miami could also look inward to the future with incoming freshman Dereon Coleman, a four-star recruit from Jones High School in Orlando. Coleman is ranked among the top quarterbacks in his class according to 247Sports and represents a long-term option for the Hurricanes.

With Beck gone and Williams likely headed elsewhere, Cristobal faces one of the most important decisions of his tenure as Miami looks to maintain offensive stability heading into the next season.