The Background: Carson Beck’s College Football Journey

Carson Beck is a promising quarterback who has drawn attention due to his performances in high school and at the University of Georgia, where he played under the highly regarded coach Kirby Smart. Beck’s rise through the ranks of Georgia’s football program has been relatively smooth, but his career was marked by the challenging circumstance of playing behind star quarterbacks such as Stetson Bennett. Nonetheless, Beck has shown impressive potential with his arm strength, accuracy, and football IQ, attracting the interest of several top-tier programs in the nation.

His move from Georgia to Miami is seen as part of a broader trend of player transfers, enabled by the NCAA’s transfer portal, which has fundamentally changed the college football landscape. Players are no longer as committed to one program for their entire college careers, and this has become a point of contention for some fans, who feel that it undermines the tradition of loyalty to a school and its program.

In the case of Beck, his decision to transfer to Miami, especially considering the notoriety of the school and its association with basketball star GF Hanna Cavinder, seems to raise questions about whether the move is about football or whether it is driven by the prospect of increased visibility and personal branding. For some fans, the connection between Beck’s move to Miami and the Cavinder twins, who are social media influencers as well as basketball players, only adds fuel to the fire. This brings us to the cynical phrase, “He’ll make more TikTok videos,” an expression of frustration that Carson Beck’s athletic career may not be as focused on football as it should be.

GF Hanna Cavinder and the Influence of Social Media

GF Hanna Cavinder is one of the most recognizable faces in college sports, not just for her skill on the basketball court but for her enormous presence on social media. With millions of followers across various platforms, including TikTok and Instagram, Cavinder’s online persona has become almost as significant as her athletic achievements. Alongside her twin sister Haley Cavinder, Hanna has leveraged her athletic career to build a brand, frequently sharing aspects of her life, training, and even sponsorship deals with her audience.

For some sports fans, the Cavinders’ success in the realm of personal branding has become a point of contention. They argue that college athletes, particularly those with strong social media presences, are more focused on building their personal brands and capitalizing on influencer culture rather than their athletic development. This sentiment is particularly prominent in sports like football, where fans are more accustomed to the gritty, hard-nosed traditions of the game and the focus on performance and teamwork.

The criticism of Beck’s potential transfer to Miami, especially in light of his connection with Hanna Cavinder’s school and brand, is a reflection of these concerns. Fans worry that the younger generation of athletes is increasingly more concerned with their personal image and social media clout than with the fundamentals of their sport. For many football purists, the idea that a quarterback like Carson Beck might prioritize TikTok videos over football drills represents a shift away from the tradition of college football.

The Intersection of Social Media and College Sports

The rise of social media in college sports has changed the dynamics of athlete recruitment, fan engagement, and media coverage. In the past, college athletes were largely defined by their on-field performances, and while they might have had limited exposure in the press, their social media presence was either nonexistent or limited to a personal account with a few followers. However, with the advent of social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, athletes now have direct access to vast audiences, allowing them to cultivate personal brands and interact with fans in ways that were previously impossible.

For athletes like the Cavinder twins, this shift has allowed them to take full advantage of the new media landscape. They’ve turned their athletic achievements into lucrative opportunities, including sponsorships, collaborations with brands, and even content creation that has little to do with their sport. They’ve cultivated an audience that follows them not just for their basketball prowess but for their lifestyle, humor, and relatable content.

While this trend has proven financially advantageous for many college athletes, it has also created a divide among fans. Some see the rise of influencer culture as a welcome evolution of the athlete’s role in society, while others see it as a distraction from the pure sport itself. This tension is especially palpable in college football, where the emphasis has traditionally been on teamwork, strategy, and athletic development. Critics argue that players who are too concerned with their online personas might not be fully committed to the intense demands of training and game preparation.

The TikTok Criticism: The Cynical Viewpoint

The phrase, “He’ll make more TikTok videos,” is emblematic of the cynical viewpoint held by many college football fans who fear that athletes like Carson Beck are prioritizing their social media presence over their on-field performance. This criticism is grounded in the belief that Beck’s potential move to Miami, a school closely associated with influencer culture, could be motivated less by a desire to succeed in football and more by the opportunity to gain followers and brand deals.

For these fans, social media has become a double-edged sword. While it offers athletes the chance to make money and gain fame, it also risks distracting them from the dedication required to succeed at the highest levels of college sports. In the case of Beck, the concerns are amplified by his association with the Cavinder twins, whose success on social media has been undeniable. For fans who value the old-school ideals of college football, it’s hard to imagine someone like Beck, a highly touted quarterback, trading in his practice sessions for TikTok dances or product endorsements.

This skepticism is further fueled by the broader debate about whether college athletes are truly amateurs or if they’ve become full-fledged professionals in everything but name. The advent of the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals has only deepened this divide. While NIL has allowed athletes to profit from their social media platforms and personal brands, critics argue that it has blurred the line between college sports and the professional ranks. To many, the notion of a college athlete like Beck prioritizing TikTok videos over actual football development seems emblematic of this shift.

The Evolution of the College Athlete: Beyond the Field

It’s important to recognize that the nature of being a college athlete has evolved in recent years. Today’s athletes are not just playing a sport; they are managing their personal brands, participating in media campaigns, and making decisions that will affect their careers long after their playing days are over. College athletes are now expected to be multifaceted individuals, balancing academics, athletics, and a public persona. Social media is an essential part of this new reality, and many athletes are capitalizing on this opportunity to build their personal brands, much like professionals in other fields.

From an economic perspective, this shift makes sense. Social media gives athletes the opportunity to build a platform that can support them financially, both during their college careers and afterward. For athletes like the Cavinder twins, this means creating content that resonates with their audience while also excelling in their respective sports. For Carson Beck, aligning himself with a program that emphasizes personal branding and social media might seem like a smart decision, both for his short-term visibility and long-term career prospects.

However, this reality does not sit well with every fan. For some, the idea of a college quarterback spending more time creating TikTok content than perfecting his game is anathema to the spirit of college football. These fans want athletes to focus exclusively on their sport, free from the distractions of influencer culture. For them, the potential for Beck to embrace the influencer lifestyle, as opposed to dedicating himself solely to football, is a betrayal of the ideals of college athletics.