Miami football head coach Mario Cristobal shaded Mel Kiper for how he covered Cam Ward throughout the NFL Draft process. The superstar quarterback was unsurprisingly taken with the No. 1 overall pick by the Tennessee Titans. Ward was phenomenal in his one season with the Hurricanes, racking up accolades like the Davey O'Brien Award and a First-team All-American selection. The West Columbia, Texas native has all the traits to be an elite starter in this league for the next decade.

Nevertheless, the quarterback prospect that dominated the headlines was Shedeur Sanders. The Colorado star QB is also a super-talented prospect at the position, but his background and polarizing personality largely took the media by storm. Cristobal was a bit miffed by Kiper's disinterest in his quarterback. College Football Insider Brett McMurphy broke down the Hurricanes' head coach's perspective on this entire process.

“Miami's Mario Cristobal said he spoke ‘to a million people' about No. 1 NFL draft pick Cam Ward – except one. ‘I can’t recall many NFL teams or TV people I didn’t speak to.' However, Cristobal & OC Shannon Dawson never spoke with ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., who was criticized for overshadowing Ward’s moment with his non-stop Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders narrative. ‘Never heard from him,' Cristobal said. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever talked to him.' Cristobal added he wasn’t disappointed by Kiper ignoring Ward. ‘The only reason I would be disappointed was if Cam was,' he said, ‘but knowing Cam, he just wanted to hear the name and exactly where he was going and get to work.'”

Mario Cristobal needs to continue maintaining Miami football's positive direction

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Cristobal's tenure in Coral Gables is trending in the right direction. While fans were sometimes frustrated with their head coach, the program has improved its record over the past three years. Now, former Georgia star quarterback Carson Beck will look to continue Miami football's momentum in 2025. But it isn't going to be easy, as the Hurricanes' schedule is significantly more challenging.

Miami's nonconference slate includes matchups with Notre Dame and Florida, two teams projected to be well within the top 25. In fact, the Fighting Irish will enter the season with the same playoff-sized expectations they had last year. While the conference slate is a little less daunting since it doesn't include Clemson, a visit to SMU in November stands out. With plenty of quality wins available on this schedule, Miami football will have ample opportunity to pad its resume. It's truly a playoff-or-bust season for the program, and Cristobal knows it.