Tag: Cam Ward

The dominoes are beginning to fall in the QB section of the transfer portal

What will happen next?

You might think that a Baylor quarterback deciding to play at Mississippi State has nothing to do with USC’s quarterback room for 2024, but you would be wrong.

Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen committed to Mississippi State on Friday. Why is this important and relevant for USC?

Let’s remind you that Dillon Gabriel, one of the top quarterback prospects in the transfer portal, played for Jeff Lebby in 2023 at Oklahoma. Lebby took the head coaching job at Mississippi State, creating a situation in which Gabriel had a chance to follow Lebby to Starkville. With Gabriel now out of the mix at Mississippi State, all eyes turn to Oregon and USC. Oregon is now viewed as the likely favorite to land Gabriel, with USC potentially remaining in the hunt.

We could be looking at a situation in which USC and Oregon are battling for Dillon Gabriel, with Cam Ward being the backup plan for each school. Will Howard is also in the mix for USC, and Dante Moore is on Oregon’s radar.

There are a lot of moving parts here. We will keep you posted.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire.

Could Cam Ward be in play for USC at QB?

This is fascinating.

Cam Ward is in the transfer portal, and the drama is already escalating. Ward transferred to Washington State from Incarnate Word prior to the 2022 football season. He can transfer again this time as a graduate transfer. Ward was third in the Pac-12 in passing in 2023. He finished the regular season with 3,736 yards, just behind Heisman candidates Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr.

Ward threw 25 touchdown strikes against seven interceptions while completing 66.6% of his passes.

In his career at WSU, Ward had 6,898 yards, 48 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He also added 202 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground in his two years in Pullman as well.

In two seasons at the Football Championship Subdivision level with Incarnate Word — before transferring to WSU — Ward had a total of 71 TDs and 14 interceptions.

With Caleb Williams leaving for the NFL, the 2024 QB1 spot is open at USC.

Malachi Nelson and Miller Moss are the only quarterbacks who are potential starters on the depth chart. The other two quarterbacks are walk-ons, and JuJu Lewis won’t be a Trojan until at least 2025 if not 2026.

Moss and Nelson are expected to duel for the job at the moment, but it would not be a surprise to see the Trojans get a veteran QB out of the portal to compete for that starting spot.

Word on the street was that Oregon had its eyes on Cam Ward. However, Dillon Gabriel entering the portal could complicate Oregon’s plans and put Ward in play for USC if Lincoln Riley is so inclined. This could get very interesting very quickly.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire.

Report: Wisconsin ‘a school to watch’ for a high-profile transfer quarterback

Report: Wisconsin ‘a school to watch’ for a high-profile transfer quarterback

Transfer portal season is here and it is already insane. As the portal officially opened earlier today we’ve seen big names including established quarterbacks Kyle McCord, Riley Leonard, D.J. Uiagalelei, Dillon Gabriel and Will Rogers enter, plus former five-star DL Walter Nolen and young quarterbacks including Dante Moore and Aidan Chiles.

So with the entrances come rumors, as we saw to a fever pitch a few years ago with Caleb Williams.

Well, get those rumor cannons ready. On3’s Pete Nakos reported earlier today the Badgers were a ‘school to watch’ for former Washington State transfer quarterback Cam Ward.

Yes, the same Cam Ward that beat the Badgers twice in the last two years.

Wisconsin was mentioned along with Ohio State, Oregon, USC, Florida State, Washington and Miami.

Ward played two seasons at Washington State after transferring from Incarnate Word. In 25 games he recorded 6968 passing yards, 48 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, 202 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns.

Wisconsin is in an interesting position with senior Tanner Mordecai set to depart, and youngsters Nick Evers and Braedyn Locke maybe not yet ready to start a full season. But whether it’s a need or not, good luck outbidding those listed schools in the NIL front. Acquiring Ward is going to be a challenging task.

Cam Ward of Washington State joins UCLA’s Dante Moore in the transfer portal

The portal QB market is growing rapidly.

The transfer portal is filling up quickly. More than that, a lot of high-profile quarterbacks are now in the portal, looking for a chance to thrive at a new school.

Earlier this week, UCLA quarterback Dante Moore declared he would enter the portal, which opens for business on Monday, December 4. Now, Washington State quarterback Cam Ward has chosen to enter the portal.

Our friends at Ducks Wire have more, noting that Ward could be a prime target for Oregon and Dan Lanning:

“This portal entry is significant for Oregon Duck fans because there is a chance that Dan Lanning and Will Stein get in the market for a new QB this offseason. With Bo Nix leaving for the NFL, the 2024 QB1 spot is currently open with guys like Ty Thompson, Austin Novosad, Michael Van Buren, and Luke Moga all competing. At the moment Thompon has the best chance to get the starting job out of that group, but it would not at all come as a surprise to see the Ducks get an additional veteran QB out of the portal in order to compete for that starting spot.”

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire.

2024 NFL Draft: QBs to watch in week 12 of college football

With just two weeks to go in the regular season, these quarterbacks are ones to keep you eye out for in week 12 of colelge football

The college football season almost feels like a blur. Somehow, there are only two weeks left of the regular season, and we are less than a month away from bowl season kicking off.

This college season has been amazing to watch. The College Football Playoff race is wide open and waiting for that signature late-season loss to allow an underdog to take their place.

As the season dwindles, the matchups get more difficult. And more intriguing.

There will be signature performances up for grabs, like Jayden Daniels and his record-breaking day against Florida last week. Who will be the next quarterback to grab the attention of scouts and fans alike?

We will find out in one of the games listed below:

  • Colorado @ Washington State (Friday, 9:30 p.m. CST, FS1)
  • #3 Michigan @ Maryland (11 a.m. CST, Fox)
  • #14 Oklahoma @ BYU (11 a.m. CST, ESPN)
  • #24 Tulane @ Florida Atlantic (11 a.m. CST, ESPN+)
  • Coastal Carolina @ Army (11 a.m. CST, CBSSN)
  • #1 Georgia @ #18 Tennessee (2:30 p.m. CST, CBS)
  • Wake Forest @ #19 Notre Dame (2:30 p.m. CST, NBC)
  • #20 North Carolina @ Clemson (2:30 p.m. CST, ESPN)
  • UCLA @ USC (2:30 p.m. CST, ABC)
  • #6 Oregon @ Arizona State (3 p.m. CST, BTN)
  • North Alabama @ #4 Florida State (5:30 p.m. CST, CW Network)
  • #5 Washington @ #11 Oregon State (6:30 p.m. CST, ABC)
  • Kentucky @ South Carolina (6:30 p.m. CST, SECN)
  • Florida International @ Arkansas (6:30 p.m. CST, ESPNU)
  • #7 Texas @ Iowa State (7 p.m. CST, Fox)
  • Georgia State @ #15 LSU (7 p.m. CST, ESPN2)

Cam Ward with spectacular pass play for Washington State

Cam Ward of Washington State with an astonishing pass play

Washington State quarterback Cam Ward deserves major consideration for play of the day after his effort on Saturday against Stanford.

Ward was harassed and under siege by the Cardinal defense.

They were pulling and tugging on the QB’s jersey but couldn’t get him down.

He broke free and found Josh Kelly for a long gain that set Washington State up with a first-and-goal.

ESPN mock draft has Vikings strengthening defense

ESPN’s Jordan Reid has the Minnesota Vikings strengthening the defense and passing on quarterback in his latest mock draft

ESPN’s Jordan Reid put out the mid-season edition of his mock draft today, and there were some surprises that directly affected the Minnesota Vikings.

The first, and most important, aspect of this mock draft was the Vikings forgoing the quarterback position to bolster the defense. Reid has Minnesota taking edge rusher Laiatu Latu out of UCLA.

The Vikings haven’t drafted an edge rusher in the first round since 2005, when they selected Erasmus James at No. 18. And outside of Danielle Hunter — who’s in the final year of his deal and might even be traded before the Oct. 31 deadline — Minnesota can’t generate any type of pass-rush presence off the edge.

One consistent draft strategy theme we’ve seen from GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is picking explosive players on defense, and that’s Latu. His 22.3% pressure percentage is the second-best mark in the FBS. I am extremely high on Latu, as he’s the No. 13 player on my board. But medicals will be a major part of his pre-draft evaluation since he medically retired from football after neck injuries at Washington before getting clearance to return in 2022.

Latu would be a great pick that could make the possibility of life without Danielle Hunter an easier pill to swallow. The hope is that Latu would learn alongside the three-time pro bowler Hunter, but that is not a guarantee.

Another interesting part of Reid’s mock draft is where the quarterbacks landed, or should I say, did not land.

Reid had both Caleb Williams and Drake Maye scooped up in the first three selections, however, no other quarterback was picked in the rest of the mock draft.

That raises the question of why.

This is one of the more loaded quarterback classes and yet only the two biggest names were chosen.

Have we overrated this upcoming quarterback class? Is the discrepancy between Williams/Maye and everyone else enough to have QB3 last to day two? Do guys like J.J. McCarthy and Cam Ward go back to school?

An interesting nugget that could give Minnesota the chance to have their cake with a potential game-changing edge rusher, and eat it too with a potential franchise guy fall in their lap on day two.

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2024 NFL Draft: Top college QB performances in week 8

These 2024 quarterback prospects stood out in week 8 of the college football season

Another week of college football, another week of top performances from top 2024 NFL quarterback prospects.

After a stellar performance from Kirk Cousins on Monday Night Football, you may be thinking “Why are we still looking at quarterbacks?”

Despite the great performance, there are still questions surrounding the quarterback position past this season.

One of the better ways to mitigate those questions is to find your guy in the draft next April.

The only problem is that this week’s performances from top draft prospects were not necessarily noteworthy. There were a few disappointing performances from top names.

There were also some players who saw their stock rise with much-needed solid to great showings.

Having that fact coincide with arguably Kirk’s best game as a Viking will make things difficult as we inch closer to a pivotal decision at the most important position in the sport.

But we will take a deeper look into the performances from this last weekend of the top 2024 NFL draft prospects.

2024 NFL Draft: Quarterbacks to watch for Week 8 of college football

From Caleb Williams to Jordan Travis, keep your eyes on these 2024 NFL draft prospects during week 8 of college football

There is nothing on Earth like college football.

Unbelievable upsets, fans storming the field, highlights that can only come from 18-to-22-year-olds that have no regard for their well-being. It’s a level of chaos befitting of taking up an entire Saturday.

Amidst all that chaos, there are those diamonds that can help elevate an NFL team to the next level. Most notably at the quarterback position.

Today, we discuss draft-eligible quarterbacks that are looking to take over the reigns of an NFL team in the next year.

Here are some of the matchups to look for this weekend that feature draft-eligible quarterbacks:

  • UCF @ #6 Oklahoma (11 a.m. CST, ABC)
  • Mississippi State @ Arkansas (11 a.m. CST, ESPN)
  • Western Michigan @ Ohio (11 a.m. CST, CBSSN)
  • Washington State @ #9 Oregon (2:30 p.m. CST, ABC)
  • #17 Tennessee @ #11 Alabama (2:30 p.m. CST, CBS)
  • South Carolina @ #20 Missoui (2:30 p.m. CST, SECN)
  • North Texas @ #23 Tulane (2:30 p.m. CST, ESPN 2)
  • #8 Texas @ Houston (3 p.m. CST, Fox)
  • Virginia @ #10 North Carolina (5:30 p.m. CST, CW Network)
  • Coastal Carolina @ Arkansas State (6 p.m. CST, ESPN+)
  • #2 Michigan @ Michigan State (6:30 p.m. CST, NBC)
  • #16 Duke @ #4 Florida State (6:30 p.m. CST, ABC)
  • Army @ #19 LSU (6:30 p.m. CST, SECN)
  • #14 Utah @ #10 USC (7 p.m. CST, Fox)
  • Clemson @ Miami (7 p.m. CST, ACCN)
  • Arizona State @ #5 Washington (9:30 p.m., FS1)

2024 NFL Draft: Quarterbacks to watch for week 6 of college football

During week 6 of college football, @MixsonS_NFL breaks down the quarterbacks to watch on Saturday afternoon

Week six of college football is here and it seems to get more exciting as each Saturday comes and goes.

Conference play is in full swing, which means that the push for the College Football Playoff has commenced.

To get there, nine times out of ten, teams will need stellar play from their signal-callers. Which means that quarterback production will be under a microscope as these teams look to make their case for a playoff berth.

In this exercise, we will discuss quarterbacks who could be up for a statement game while simultaneously raising their draft stock in the 2024 NFL draft.