MIAMI, FL – The University of Miami has secured Cameron Ward, a highly sought-after transfer quarterback from Washington State University. Ward, who visited both Miami and Florida State, ultimately chose the Hurricanes as his new football home. Miami not only gets a top-tier quarterback in Ward but also someone who perfectly fits their “Air-Raid” style of play.
At Columbia High School in south Texas, Ward flew under the radar due to his involvement in a run-based Wing-T offense. As a result, his best option after high school was to play for Incarnate Word in the FCS level program. However, the pandemic delayed his first football season from fall to spring, allowing him to become comfortable with a pass-heavy attacking strategy.
During his time at Incarnate Word, Ward put up impressive numbers, throwing for 6,908 yards with 71 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 19 games. He then made the leap to Washington State, where he continued to excel in the “Air-Raid” system, totaling 6,966 yards with 48 touchdowns and 16 interceptions against PAC-12 competition over two seasons.
Ward’s strengths lie in his ability to quickly and accurately distribute the ball in the short passing game, as well as connecting on deep shots downfield. In the 2023 season, he completed 89.4% of his passing attempts behind the line of scrimmage, with an average time to throw of 1.65 seconds. When targeting zero-to-nine yards past the line of scrimmage, he completed 76.7% of his passes with an average time to throw of 2.08 seconds.
Compared to Miami’s current quarterback, Tyler Van Dyke, Ward demonstrated similar accuracy but with a faster release time. Van Dyke completed 90.9% of his passes behind the line of scrimmage, but with an average time to throw of 1.88 seconds. In the zero-to-nine yards range, Van Dyke completed 73.7% of his passes with an average time to throw of 2.37 seconds.
One significant advantage for Ward at Miami will be an improved offensive line, as Van Dyke was kept clean on 77.1% of his dropbacks in 2023 compared to Ward’s 69.8% at Washington State. Despite this, Ward still averaged 7.9 yards per attempt when kept clean, with 21 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Ward’s mobility is another asset, evident by his 144 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 2023. He gained 274 yards on scrambles and 110 yards on designed quarterback runs. Ward’s ability to extend plays resulted in 16 runs of at least ten yards and 35 first downs.
However, Ward does need to rectify some issues with fumbling the football. Throughout his college career, he has been responsible for 46 fumbles, averaging about one per game. During his time at Washington State, he had seven games with multiple fumbles.
Overall, Ward is still a developing quarterback with room to grow. The opportunity for an extra year of college eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic offers him a chance to further hone his skills at the college level and potentially improve his draft stock for the 2025 NFL Draft.
The addition of Ward to Miami’s roster aligns with the university’s goal of elevating its football program under the leadership of head coach Mario Cristobal. With Ward’s talents, the Hurricanes hope to reach new heights in the coming seasons.