Tag: Cam Ward

Miami QB Cam Ward impresses scouts with big-time Hurricanes debut

Miami QB Cam Ward impresses scouts with big-time Hurricanes debut, showing off traits and poise in win over Florida

Heading into the 2024-25 season, this draft class was touted as having a weaker group of quarterbacks compared to the last two. However, as is the case with most drafts, quarterbacks come from out of nowhere to provide their draft stock with a major boost. Recent transfer quarterback Cam Ward may be one such quarterback after his explosive debut for the Miami Hurricanes.

Ward looked like a seasoned pro in this Hurricane offense, even making headlines for himself, given just how calm and collected he was within the position. Ward completely dominated the Florida defense to the tune of over 400 total yards and 3 touchdowns through the air. Through four quarters against the rival Gators, Ward clearly looked like the best player on the field.

When it comes to his draft evaluation, Ward showed off just about everything an evaluator wants to see improved on. Ward flashed some serious, uncoachable traits in just how collected he was when the play broke down and how he was able to navigate just how the defense was defending him. Ward also showed off his excellent arm talent, multiple times putting the ball in tight windows with just the flick of his wrist.

If Ward can continue his ascension and continue to grow as a quarterback he could capture the same wind that Jayden Daniels found himself on last season. It’s a bit too early to call Ward a first round talent, but he certainly looked marvelous in his opening performance.

Miami QB Cam Ward has high praise for Autzen Stadium after experiencing The Swamp

Former WSU quarterback Cam Ward defends former Pac-12 venues’ crowd noise after playing in The Swamp at Florida.

Cam Ward would know.

The former Washington State quarterback who now plays for the Miami Hurricanes has played in some of the loudest venues in the country as an opponent: Husky Stadium, the Los Angeles Coliseum, and, of course, Autzen Stadium.

Ward played his first game as a Hurricane in The Swamp, the infamous home venue for the Florida Gators. According to Ward, The Swamp was loud, but it doesn’t compare with those West Coast places.

“I played at USC. USC wasn’t packed, but it was louder than this,” Ward said after Miami defeated Florida, 41-17, in the season opener for both teams. “I played at Oregon and it was louder than this. The Pac-12 gets misspoken for. The Pac-12, that’s where I believe real football is played. Washington was one of the loudest environments I’ve played (in).”

Now it’s entirely possible Ward was poking the bear of sorts as Florida and Miami has quite the rivalry going. Hopefully, these former Pac-12 stadiums will get their due with how tough it is to play in for opponents.

Michigan’s Lloyd Carr was the first coach from one of the big names in college football to comment on the noise generated at Autzen.

“They are very difficult to beat at home. The crowd is, from every report I get, from every coach I’ve spoken with, a real factor,” Carr said before he took his Wolverines to Eugene. “You have to learn to communicate without talking because talking doesn’t do you any good.”

After Oregon defeated Michigan, 31-27, in 2003, he said: “That’s the loudest stadium I’ve ever been in.”

Beginning in 2024, the rest of the Big Ten is going to find out how right he was.

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A day at the Swamp: Fan’s perspective of Florida’s Week 1 loss to Miami

Florida Gators football managed to leave their home crowd stunned as they were routed by the Miami Hurricanes 41-17.

Florida football was left embarrassed at home in the Swamp by the visiting Miami Hurricanes.

All the months of hope and optimism, the speeches of improvement and change by head coach Billy Napier and his staff, were sucked down the drain as the Hurricanes completely dominated the Gators, 41-17, and left the fans at a loss for words.

From the moment the game kicked off, Miami was in utter control. Miami quarterback Cam Ward looked comfortable all game because Florida’s pass rush was not getting anywhere near him.

Even when Florida blitzed, they weren’t getting to Ward. He had all day to throw and he torched the Gators defense, throwing for 385 yards and three touchdowns.

On offense, the Gators looked lifeless. As if all the weeks of preparation for this crucial season-opener were thrown out the window.

Florida had just 261 yards of total offense. Yes, that’s it. And imagine what that number would be if running back Montrell Johnson Jr. hadn’t broken away for a 71-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Quarterback Graham Mertz was getting knocked around all day long by the Miami pass rushers and eventually had to exit the game due to a concussion.

It was an all-around embarrassment for this Gators football squad that needed to get off to a strong start to this season. Because the schedule certainly doesn’t get any easier moving forward.

A day at the Swamp from a fan’s perspective

I attended this game as a fan. I had family and friends drive up from Miami (my hometown) and stay in Gainesville for the weekend. We did the whole experience. Tailgating outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was a blast.

The energy was off the charts and there was a sense of belief that this Florida team was going to make some noise on the field that afternoon. Of course, there were a decent amount of Hurricanes fans, but it was all friendly banter pre-game.

As we headed into the Swamp and made our way through a sea of blue and orange, chants of “Let’s go Gators!” echoed through the concourse. Fans were pumped up and ready to see their team play some football.

Jevon Kearse was the honorary “Mr. Two Bits” for the game and by the time Kearse was finished leading the cheer, the Swamp was deafening.

Unfortunately, that was the highest the energy ever got that day.

Right from the opening kick, there was not a whole lot for the Florida fans to cheer about. Miami moved the ball down the field with ease on seemingly every possession and right then you knew that the Gators’ chances of winning the game were slim to none.

As Florida trotted back into the locker room at halftime, they were being showered with boos from the home crowd as they trailed Miami 24-10.

Not long into the third quarter is when we started hearing chants of “Fire Napier!” and “We want (DJ) Lagway!” erupt from the student section.

Water bottles and other debris were being thrown down as fans were displaying their frustration at Florida’s poor level of play on the field.

By the time the third quarter came to an end, the stadium was doing its tradition of playing Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”.

At that point, Florida was down 38-10 and there was no shot at a come-from-behind victory. The fans needed something to be happy about and that’s when everyone got together and started singing along. For a rare moment all game, the energy was high and fans were smiling from ear to ear.

But the moment the song ended, the stands started to empty quickly and fans were piling out of the Swamp. Not quite the home opener Florida was hoping for.

How often do you see Gators fans leave before the fourth quarter on their home turf? Never. When was the last time Florida got blown out like that at home? It’s been some time.

It was a complete embarrassment by the Florida football team and they need to figure it out as fast as possible because the fans have, if not, are very close to running out of patience.

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Alabama lands in top 10 for 2025 4-star PF Cam Ward

2025 four-star power forward Cam Ward released his top schools list on Sunday. Alabama made the cut as a finalist.

The Alabama Crimson Tide basketball program is one of 10 schools that have a chance to land a commitment from 2025 four-star power forward Cam Ward.

Ward plays for Largo High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. He is listed at 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds. He is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the state of Maryland according to 247Sports.

Ward has scheduled official visits to the Kansas State Wildcats, Maryland Terrapins, Michigan Wolverines, and Alabama Crimson Tide. He will be in Tuscaloosa on October 12.

When asked by On3’s Joe Tipton about his thoughts on the Crimson Tide, Ward had the following to say:

“They are new to the mix. I love the culture and their a winning program. I like their style of play, really fast-paced and can’t wait to learn more about them!”

Alabama has not been in pursuit of Ward for that long. It is unclear if Ward has received an offer from Alabama at this point in time. Nonetheless, there is mutual interest between he and the Crimson Tide.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama basketball program and its efforts on the recruiting trail.

Notre Dame basketball makes top-10 for 2025 power forward Cam Ward

The Irish make his top-10 along with a visit on the books

Notre Dame basketball is putting itself into a great spot with the 2025 recruiting class.

There are multiple high-level prospects that are considering the Irish and on Sunday, another one has them in their top group. Maryland power forward [autotag]Cam Ward[/autotag] trimmed his list down to 10 schools, with Notre Dame making the cut.

The 6-foot, 7-inch and 210-pound front court player is ranked as the nation’s No. 48 overall prospect and 15th player at his position according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

The Irish will have to battle against schools like Alabama, Maryland, Michigan State, Florida State and others for the commitment of Ward.

Ward has set up an official visit to South Bend for the weekend of September 16th, one of three visits that is currently scheduled. The Irish are in a good position with him, and hopefully the visit seals the deal.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

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Michigan State basketball makes top ten for 2025 small forward

MSU makes top ten for a top prospect on their 2025 recruiting board:

Tom Izzo has gone big game hunting in the 2025 recruiting class, going after a multitude of highly ranked recruits in the class. Another prospect that the Spartans are in a good spot with is Cam Ward, a forward from Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Ward is a prospect that the team has been on since the beginning of the cycle. He is a top-50 prospect in the recruiting class as a 6-foot-6 forward.

MSU made the top ten alongside Marquette, Mississippi State, Alabama, Kansas State, Maryland, Virginia, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt and Florida State.

He scheduled official visits with Alabama, Kansas State, Maryland and Michigan State.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner

2025 NFL Draft first impression: Cam Ward, QB, Miami

2025 NFL Draft first impression of Miami Hurricanes QB Cam Ward, a transfer from Washington State who briefly entered the 2024 NFL Draft

Cam Ward is a familiar name for those who follow the NFL draft, even if it comes from a twist. Ward played the last two years at Washington State and the two years prior to that at FCS-level Incarnate Word, and he initially applied for entry into the 2024 NFL Draft.

Ward then changed his mind and decided to transfer to Miami, immediately taking over as the top QB for the Hurricanes in 2024. He’s certainly got the prolific passing stats to attract prominent preseason draft attention; Ward beings over 14,000 passing yards and 119 career touchdown passes to Miami to start his final season of eligibility.

Before he withdrew from the 2024 draft, the 6-foot-2 Ward was generally projected in the 75-125 overall range, though that’s tough to ascertain. Some of the uncertainty comes from how complex of a prospect Ward is as an NFL projection.

Ward comes from the high-volume, point-and-shoot shotgun spread offense. Yet he has shown traits that transcend the system. One of the first things that jumps out when watching Ward is his patience in making sure his read is right. It’s a subtlety that serves him well.

He can do that because Ward has faith in his right arm to get the ball into the window. A consistent, quick release and a strong exit velocity allow Ward to thread some needles, like this one against a good Washington defense:

While not always perfect, Ward has shown he can feather a ball with exceptional touch and accuracy, too. This throw against Oregon might be my favorite play from Ward in 2023. It’s very reminiscent of the type of play that made Andrew Luck an NFL star:

Ward escapes initial pressure very well and he consistently keeps his eyes down the field — looking to make the big throw. There might not be a more elusive QB in tight quarters in recent memory. There is definitely some college-era Russell Wilson to Ward’s game in that regard.

One big area for improvement would be better anticipation of the pressure. He often doesn’t feel it until it’s too late. Ward does have some running ability, though he too often doesn’t decide to commit to the run until it’s too late.

That leads to another area where Ward can help himself in terms of draft stock. There’s a fine line between being cautiously patient and holding the ball too long. Ward doesn’t yet have a great feel for where that line is. It will be very interesting to see how he handles that in a new, different style of offense at Miami.

The arm talent is impressive, as is the elusiveness. But there are definitely questions to answer in 2025. Ward hasn’t ever really played in anything that resembles a pro-style offense, however; he’s been in the shotgun spread system for four years in college after operating a Wing-T in high school.

Ward is definitely going to be one of the most intriguing 2025 QB prospects. How he plays in Miami in his fifth year of starting in college, at his third college no less, will hopefully clear up a lot of the mystery that shrouded his draft projection when he was still in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Penn State basketball getting visit from Maryland’s Gatorade Player of the Year

Penn State basketball is preparing for a major official visit from one of the top players in Maryland.

All eyes are on Penn State’s football program with official visits kicking off this weekend, but there is plenty of action taking place for other programs.

The basketball team got some huge news when their star [autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] announced that he was returning to the team for the upcoming season. That will not only allow them to compete this year, but it also gives head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] another chance to establish his culture and build momentum.

One thing that Rhoades and his staff did well during his tenure at VCU was being able to land high-end recruits to a mid-major program.

He’s currently trying to do that for the Nittany Lions, something that they should be able to do when giving prospects the chance to compete in a Power 4 conference.

The good news keeps flowing for Penn State on the hardcourt as one of their top targets in the 2025 class has revealed he will be visiting Happy Valley in August.

Consensus four-star recruit [autotag]Cam Ward[/autotag] is ranked as the 38th-best player in the country by ESPN coming off him winning Gatorade Player of the Year in Maryland.

The 6-foot-6, 190-pound prospect spoke with Jamie Shaw of On3 about his recruitment after taking two official visits to Florida State and Notre Dame. It’s no surprised that those two are the leaders in the clubhouse, but Penn State is going to get a real look as Ward thinks what Rhoades and his staff are doing will translate well going forward (subscription required).

He’s playing AAU basketball for Team Durant on Nike’s EYBL Circuit this summer and will look to narrow down his list after everything finishes up.

How this relationship progresses will be seen, but it’s huge positive that someone of Ward’s magnitude has the Nittany Lions on his radar and will take a trip to campus.

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ACC starting quarterback rankings for 2024

Here are our ACC quarterback rankings for 2024, with projected starters.

We are still some time away from the start of the 2024 college football season, but that doesn’t stop us from looking ahead.

Today, we are looking at the ACC starting quarterbacks for 2024 and ranking them ahead of the season. This is just a preview, as it is still many months from the season, and things can change fast. While every team doesn’t have a starting quarterback on paper, we are making projections on these starters based on what we know right now.

The ACC is a bit different now, with the addition of new programs and new faces to the conference. Try not to get mad with these, they’re subjective! That said, here are our ACC starting quarterback rankings heading into the 2024 season.

– Updated 5/11

Jackson Arnold outside the top 10 in ESPN’s 2024 spring quarterback rankings

Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold just outside ESPN’s 10 ten QBs for the 2024 season ahead of spring ball.

Anytime you have turnover at quarterback, there are bound to be questions about how the offense will perform the following season.

The Sooners are one of the teams across the country that will be starting a new quarterback in 2024. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] takes over for [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], who transferred to Oregon. And while there may be some uncertainty, the Sooners have one of the best young quarterbacks in the country.

The former five-star prospect isn’t one of the favorites to win the Heisman in 2024 and at this point. At this point he’s just outside the top-10 of ESPN’s quarterback rankings heading into the spring. And a lot of where Arnold is ranked is likely related to his inexperience at the collegiate level.

The only player without much experience that’s ranked ahead of Arnold is Tennessee Volunteers quarterback [autotag]Nico Iamaleavea[/autotag].

Arnold has a lot of talent and is a highly-regarded quarterback, but he and Iamaleava have a lot to prove still. But they’ve got all the talent in the world, and both former five-star quarterbacks were able to get their first start during bowl season.

Arnold and Iamaleava will likely provide the fireworks in the Oklahoma Sooners first conference game in the SEC when they welcome the Tennessee Volunteers to town. That could be the start of a fantastic quarterback battle over the next several years. In the offenses they run with the talent that both schools possess, both former five-star quarterbacks could be dark-horse Heisman contenders in 2024 and frontrunners in 2025.

For the Sooners, everything is set up for Arnold to find himself ranked much higher in these quarterback rankings by the end of the season. The offensive line will come together and the Sooners have a deep pool of skill talent for Arnold to work with.

Here’s a look at ESPN’s top 10.