Mario Cristobal and the Miami football staff came out of nowhere when Cam Ward announced he was signing with the Hurricanes. The former Washington State quarterback was supposed to be entering the 2024 NFL Draft but decided, after being told he probably wouldn't be a first-rounder, to come back for his last year of eligibility.
Miami football has been searching for their signal-caller for weeks, going back to when the transfer portal opened up on Dec. 15. Hurricanes fans had seen in Cristobal's first two seasons in Coral Gables how he was allowed to utilize the portal to the team's advantage, so the hope was that he would do the same this season. But Cristobal had to hit on a quarterback during this cycle after losing senior Tyler Van Dyke to Wisconsin, which left the team with only two scholarship quarterbacks next year in sophomore Emory Williams and junior Jacurri Brown.
After Cam Ward took official visits to both Miami and arch-rival Florida State, it looked to be another intense battle between the two, where more than likely a dollar amount would seal the deal. But then Ward threw everyone off by declaring for the draft, which left the Hurricanes going after FCS Albany quarterback Reese Poffenbarger and the Seminoles landing DJ Uiagalelei out of Oregon State.
Miami has been looking for a quarterback of the caliber of Ward for some time, as the position has long been void of real, sustainable talent. Ward may be nothing more than a gap quarterback for one season, but he's exactly what Cristobal needs in Year 3, with the hopes of taking the program to the ACC title game for only the second time in school history.
Ward comes in as the No. 10 overall player out of the portal and the No. 3 quarterback. He's also the ACC's highest-ranked portal addition, according to InsideTheU. In 2023, he threw for 3,736 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions, completing 66.6% of his throws. For reference, Van Dyke threw 12 interceptions in 11 games in 2023, so seeing Ward's TD/INT ratio should be exciting, as surely it was to Cristobal and offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson.
But what can the Hurricanes and their fans truly expect from this talented quarterback who will now be donning orange and green? Let's discuss Cam Ward's bold predictions for the 2024 season with Miami football.
BREAKING: Washington State transfer QB Cam Ward has committed to Miamiđhttps://t.co/4AgH8FJQcb pic.twitter.com/9dbh1vIBsh
â On3 (@On3sports) January 14, 2024
Cam Ward will throw for at least 200 yards a game
In his two seasons at Washington State, Cam Ward had only six games in which he threw for under 200 yards. In 2023, where he only had two of those, the Cougars were up against much stronger opposing defenses like UCLA and Arizona. However, he threw for 438 yards against Oregon in Eugene and 317 against Washington in the Apple Cup in Seattle.
Ward should have a solid offensive line in front of him with the Hurricanes to give him time to throw, along with some speedy receivers to get the ball to that will increase his yardage total.
Cam Ward is first-team All-ACC
North Carolina's Drake Maye is gone. So is Florida State's Jordan Travis. Could Miami have the best quarterback in the ACC next season? NC State will be welcoming in Coastal Carolina's Grayson McCall, who put up big numbers while in the Sun Belt. Florida State has Uiagalelei. There's also newly welcomed ACC conference member SMU with Preston Stone. But Ward has to be considered a favorite.
Cam Ward becomes the best quarterback for Miami in years, leads them to ACC title game
Miami has made only one single appearance in the ACC title game since they joined the conference in 2004. They lost to Clemson in 2017, 38-3. That should be attainable in 2024 for Miami with the talent they're bringing in, with Cam Ward definitely not excluded. In fact, he should be the major reason for them being able to reach the conference championship.
Even with only one year, Ward can be extremely influential for the Miami football program if he proves that his talent is real, along with the Hurricanes coaching staff using him correctly. Miami has struggled to find their future at quarterback for years now. If Ward can prove this is a program that is serious about developing quarterbacks with the right skills, that will only help Cristobal in his efforts of bringing in high-caliber talent at the position.
Ward has already made lofty expectations for 2024, saying that this is a team that can make the College Football Playoff. That remains to be seen, but it wouldn't be too shocking if he lives up to even some of his hype.
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