ESPN's coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft raised eyebrows after the Tennessee Titans picked Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward No. 1 overall. Longtime analyst Mel Kiper Jr. went on a rant about teams not selecting Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders. His rants caught the attention of Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal, who called out Kiper for his lack of coverage of Ward on Wednesday.

Hours after the 54-year-old head coach claimed Kiper never spoke to him about Ward, the famed NFL Draft analyst clapped back at Cristobal on social media. Kiper claims he had the now-Titans quarterback ranked higher than any other draft expert. Additionally, he revealed that he never spoke to Deion Sanders about his Shedeur either.

“Mario Cristobal claims he spoke to a million people about Cam Ward, yet the one he didn't speak to, being me, had Ward ranked higher (6th on my Big Board) than any of the other draft experts. Interesting, isn't it? And oh, by the way, I didn't speak to Deion about Shedeur either. I need another Orange Crush after this nonsense.”

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Although that all may be true, Mel Kiper ranted multiple times during the NFL Draft coverage about Sanders. So much so that when the Titans selected Ward, ESPN didn't have enough time to talk about the pick. Instead, the broadcast was forced to gloss over Tennessee's selection and instead cover straight the No. 2 pick, Travis Hunter, who went to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Regardless, the former Miami quarterback doesn't appear to be the type to care all that much about Kiper's opinions. Ward has displayed a supreme level of confidence as he prepares to become the starting quarterback of the Titans.

Additionally, Cristobal and the Hurricanes aim for a better season in 2025. Miami has lost two consecutive bowl games in the three years Mario Cristobal has been head coach. Most recently, the program suffered a tough 42-41 loss in the Pop Tart Bowl to the Iowa State Cyclones.