DINH DOONG

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal insisted Cam Ward is “one of one” as the Hurricanes quarterback enjoys a breakout season ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Through seven weeks of the 2024 college season, Ward has become one of the most exhilerating quarterbacks to watch in the sport. He has made a significant leap from previous seasons, throwing for 2,219 yards along with 20 touchdown passes – tied for the lead in the FBS – and five interceptions to lead Miami to a perfect 6-0 start.

Ward can throw from multiple arm angles and generate velocity with ease. His 91.8 Total QBR ranks third in the country, and his 20 completions of 20-plus air yards leads the nation.

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Ward, who has moved from Incarnate Word to Washington State to Miami over five seasons, has overcome plenty of adversity to become one of the stars of college football. Miami head coach Cristobal heaped praise on his quarterback on ESPN’s “This Is Football”, reeling off all the traits that make Ward such a fascinating prospect as his stock rises.

“I’ve been lucky to be around some great players – this guy, he’s really like one of one,” Cristobal said. “His mindset is that of a linebacker who is trying to kick your ass on every single play. He’s an alpha dog. He wants to do nothing but win.

“He’s completely disinterested in personal accolades. He just wants to push people around him. He wants to make better. The elite guys have a common trait they all have – they’re just restless. They’re always uncomfortable, and they make people around them uncomfortable in the right kind of way because he pushes people and he pushes himself and holds himself to a really high standard.

“Awesome leader, awesome human being, and when the lights are on the confidence is off the charts because of what he does, not just what he says.”

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Cristobal expanded on what Ward brings to the table, and hopes NFL teams will look at the journey the 22-year-old has been on to develop into the best version of himself. He added: “I hope when the NFL watches tape on him they look at two things. Number one: he came back to college to prove himself that he can lead a team to be a winner.

“You look at his past history, he’s always been playing from behind right? The supporting cast maybe just wasn’t up to a certain level where he could lead, sometimes play from ahead, extend leads, that kind of stuff.

“He’s had a chance here to play from ahead, play from behind, bring us back in some really really tough situations, and in terms of him risk-taking, these aren’t just guess and throw it up – everything he does has a rhyme and reason, and he does it in practice. There’s complete confidence in what he does and what he’s going to continue doing.

 

Ward has showed tremendous poise throughout Miami’s unbeaten run. He inspired comebacks against Virginia Tech and Cal, which included 238 passing yards in the fourth quarter in the win over the Golden Bears.

Ward has a chance to be the first overall pick come next April. His No. 6 Miami are next in action against 4-2 Louisville on Saturday, Oct. 19.