Best outcome for Cam Ward with Miami football
Can Cam Ward succeed at Miami?
We all know Hurricanes fans are excited that Ward decided to forgo the NFL Draft and play for the Hurricanes but portal QBs in year one are iffy. you got to think other quarterbacks like Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels had a year or two, to get used to the system and the friendship with their receivers. Ward is very good QB and will be better than anyone Mario Cristobal has had in Coral Gables, but turns the ball over a bit and I think Miami needs a lot more than just average QB play. He’d need to be special
Miami’s offense had high expectations in 2023 despite having some major questions along the wide receiver. However, that ended up not being the unit’s biggest weakness on the field. Surprisingly, the passing game and a lack of efficiency are what held Shannon Dawson‘s unit back.
Let’s get into it with the best-case outcome.
The best-case scenario for Cam Ward at Miami
He makes himself what Van Dyke was in September — a Heisman Trophy candidate — but he makes it last all the way through November.
Ward might not end up in New York as a Heisman finalist. Miami history at the position suggests he will not. The Hurricanes have not had a Heisman Trophy finalist at quarterback since Gino Toretta in 1992.
But it’s still possible for Ward to carry more momentum into October than Van Dyke did. If he’s still in the conversation for the coveted award come, say, Halloween, that would be longer than Van Dyke was a factor, would be wildly successful for Ward and would likely mean fruitful team success for Miami.
Ward, a true dual-threat QB, attempted 485 passes in 2023. He also was credited with 120 rushing attempts that year. He had 3,735 total yards and 25 total touchdowns. For reference, Oregon’s Bo Nix had 4,373 total yards and 43 total touchdowns and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. had 4,200 total yards and 36 total touchdowns on their way to being named Heisman finalists this year.
We won’t throw LSU QB Jayden Daniels‘ stats into this discussion because he was in a league of his own this year, but it just goes to show that Ward’s best year of his career was not far off from the seasons Nix and Penix just had. And, because their teams went a combined 24-2 with the only two losses being games played against each other, they were the Saturday staples in terms of driving college football dialogue.
Ward could be exactly that for Miami.
But again — can Miami get the most out of him? That’s what this comes down to.
If Ward can go for 3,500-plus yards and 25 touchdowns at Washington State, he should be able to do it at Miami. And Cane’s coaches and teammates should want that for him, too. Quarterback success translates to team success in most circumstances. Uplift Cam’s potential and good things will come for all.Â
Trinton is the owner of CanesToday. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, he is a freshman in high school and wants to graduate from the University of Miami
