Kirk Herbstreit names Miami's Cam Ward as 2024 Top Transfer in annual Herbie Awards

Miami quarterback Cam Ward came to Coral Gables and starred during his lone season with the Hurricanes. And for his efforts, he earned a Herbie Award as Kirk Herbstreit’s top transfer in 2024.

Coming to south Florida from Washington State, Ward turned down the NFL to play another year of college. And he thrived doing so, as one of the nation’s leading passers and now a Heisman finalist.

And Herbstreit raved about Ward’s impact.

“He led the nation in passing touchdowns of 20 yards or more,” Herbstreit said on the awards show on Friday night. “Probably the best deep passer in college football this year. Excited to see what he can do with his bowl and then of course next year. But I was sitting there thinking about it all year: When was the last time Miami had a quarterback that was reliable and a guy that could be a difference maker at that position? I think you’ve gotta go all the way — think about this — all the way back to Ken Dorsey and that 02-03 era. So you’re talking over two decades since they’ve had a quarterback. And as we said, you take him off that team this year, they probably lose another three or four football games. That’s how big of a difference he was this year to the ‘Canes.”

Ward finished the 2024 regular season with a nation-leading 36 passing touchdowns and threw for 4123 yards while completing 67.4% of his passes and tossing just seven interceptions.

And while he’s not expected to place better than third or fourth, Ward is a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and one of four players picked to attend the ceremony.

Ward is also planning to play in Miami’s bowl game, but has some beef with the College Football Playoff selection committee for leaving the Hurricanes out of the 12-team field.

Miami finished just outside of the College Football Playoff after finishing 10-2 and falling to Syracuse during the final week of the regular season.

‘Canes quarterback Cam Ward was the catalyst to much of Miami’s success this season, and had it not been for the loss to the Orange on the road — Miami would have been in the ACC Championship game and likely well within the CFP field.

Many believe Miami had done enough to make the field, including Ward argued his team’s case as to why they should have been in during a recent appearance on SportsCenter.

“I mean, it’s crazy,” Ward said. “You’ve got the best quarterback in the country, we’ve got the No. 1 offense in the country, a top-five offense of all-time in college. We ain’t been stopped all year. We have a top-25 defense.

“At the end of the day, I have no control over that. My teammates have no control over that. They have to do what they have to do. We’ve got a challenge on us of playing in a good bowl game, going against a good team [in] Iowa State and we’re going to try to end the season off with a win.”

Iowa State is another team that was right on the CFP bubble. Their Big 12 championship game loss to Arizona State is the only thing that kept them from being in the 12-team field this season.

The Pop-Tarts Bowl between the Hurricanes and Cyclones is set for Dec. 28 live from Camping World Stadium.