Ryan Clark quickly pointed the finger at the NCAA regarding Nico Iamaleava’s ouster from Knoxville, refraining from blaming the player or Tennessee. Instead, he indicated that both the NCAA and Mario Cristobal were at fault. Clark, whose son Jordan is likely to be drafted in next week’s NFL Draft, expressed his sentiment on this matter.
“And now you got people like Mario Cristobal, who by the way, is [partly to blame for] this, because he gave Carson Beck, who ain’t the best quarterback in the country, $4 million to go to Miami,” the former NFL defensive back stated on Tuesday’s Get Up. “There’s no reason for him to hold out, because he’s getting overpaid…”
Ryan Clark says Mario Cristobal is partially to blame for the Nico Iamaleava situation. pic.twitter.com/osTCigEfe9
— Grant (@NMDgrant) April 15, 2025
That didn’t sit well with Mike Ryan from The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. As a Hurricanes booster and part-time insider, Ryan has frequently been a source of commentary on the show. His affiliation with CanesInSight, an outlet he co-owns that is tied to the Canes Connection NIL collective, lends him considerable insight into the situation.
“Ryan Clark said something to the effect on television today when talking about Nico, ‘Mario Cristobal is partly at fault because he gave $4 million to Carson Beck, and he’s not the best quarterback in the country,’” Ryan stated. “No. 1, Ryan Clark, you don’t know the number. You’re off base. No. 2, if you’re directly comparing Carson Beck to Nico, Carson Beck is statistically almost twice the quarterback than Nico. Nico was tied for 36th in the nation in QBR last season; Carson Beck was eighth and won the SEC as QB1, having made a significant name for himself in the conference and now at Miami. You don’t need to invoke Mario Cristobal, especially when you’re out of your depth.”
Ryan insisted that Clark was aware of the figures but chose not to disclose them. “It doesn’t hurt Miami for Ryan Clark to go on television and just say things like, ‘Miami paid Carson Beck $4 million.’ That enhances Miami’s image, as it creates a perception that attracts quarterbacks interested in joining their roster,” Ryan explained. “Why would I reveal the number?”
On a more serious note, Ryan emphasized he wouldn’t allow Beck’s name to be unfairly criticized on live television without a rebuttal. “He’s just flatly much better, in terms of his resume, than Nico’s,” Ryan concluded. “You don’t have to bring in Carson Beck when discussing Nico. They are two entirely different matters.”
“College football media often bases opinions on NIL deals without the full context. Just because you saw a post claiming Carson Beck made $4 million doesn’t justify expressing opinions on national television,” Ryan added. “Standing with Ryan Clark on incorrect figures and statistics is simply misguided; Carson Beck has no connection to Nico. It’s just foolishness.”
Let’s blame Duke and move along, shall we? Not without a reminder from Mike Ryan that if someone tries to involve Miami in a situation it had no part in, they’d better ensure their information is accurate.
“He’s flatly wrong,” Ryan asserted, “on multiple fronts, and he acts as if he possesses factual information. Just because you saw a post doesn’t mean you have the correct figure.” In response, Dan Le Batard reinforced Ryan’s position: “Mike has more accurate information than Ryan Clark. If Mike Ryan states the facts, then Ryan Clark’s information is indeed incorrect, as Mike is a credible source in this sport and his insights are reliable.”
