Miami football has finally found their new quarterback, but they had to swipe him from the grasp of the NFL to do so. Former Washington State standout Cameron Ward announced on social media that he is no longer declaring for the draft and is instead committing to play for head coach Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes.

What a turn of events for all involved. Ward visited both Miami and Florida State in December after entering the transfer portal but then decided to turn professional on New Year's Day. Following a couple weeks of rumination, the 21-year-old is coming to South Beach to help re-establish the Canes as an ACC power.

Ward began his college career with Incarnate Word in the FCS and earned Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2021. His meteoric rise caught the attention of Washington State. He completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 3,735 yards and 25 touchdowns to go with seven interceptions last season (also had eight rushing scores).

Staying with the Cougars was always going to be a difficult choice for Ward after the Pac-12 crumbled. The only remaining members are Washington State and Oregon State- who watched QB DJ Uiagalelei transfer as well. Miami football might have just added quite the game-changer for the 2024-25 campaign.

The team woefully disappointed this past season, with injuries and coaching blunders exacerbating its already uneven play. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke failed to rediscover his impressive 2021 form and made the move to Wisconsin at the end of the year. Cameron Ward now fills that void, giving fans plenty to smile about on this Saturday night.

Perhaps a successful year with the Hurricanes will prove to be a wonderful career decision and greatly improve his stock for the 2025 NFL Draft.