Why expectations are so high for Cam Ward at Miami in 2024

Despite not winning an ACC title since joining the conference in 2004, many believe that the Miami Hurricanes have a legitimate shot to do so this season. As head coach Mario Cristobal enters the season with his most talented roster to date following an active offseason in the transfer portal.

The new lofty expectations in Coral Gables are directly tied to the Hurricanes adding former Incarnate Word and Washington State quarterback Cam Ward to their team this offseason. One of the most experienced quarterbacks in college football who could take Miami over the hump.

“Well they’ve already named him the ACC Player of the Year Kaiden, so I don’t know that the expectations could be any higher,” CaneSport‘s Gary Ferman told me on the On3 Roundtable. “To me that’s a little unfair just because he hasn’t played a single play at Miami. But he’s meant the world to this program, he really has not just on the field but off the field.”

“He’s an exceptional leader and maybe hasn’t had the chance to show everything he brings to the table as much because he was out at Washington State with a very average football team. He’s gonna be surrounded by far greater talent at Miami than he has at any point in his career.”

Between his time with the Cardinals and the Cougars, Ward has played and started in 44 games in his college football career. Throwing for 13,874 yards and 119 touchdowns and entering a season where he may be surrounded by the best offense of his career.

“They’ve got an offensive line that has been built to win, they have a running game to go around him, he’s got multiple receivers that he can count on at any time during the course of a game. He’s got an elite looking tight end who’s back healthy, who looks like he could be one of the best tight ends in college football,” Ferman explained. “So you put all of that together and there’s really not a massive weakness on the Miami offense.”

Between returning players and new transfer portal additions, there’s a lot to be excited about on Miami’s offense. But Ferman’s biggest area of concern is who will step up as the go to guy at the wide receiver position for Ward in 2024.

“I would say if somebody made me pinpoint one, I would say maybe the lack of an absolute elite number one alpha dude at wide receiver,” Ferman said. “But they’re hoping Sam Brown coming in from Houston might be able to be that. A little bit more mature model of Jacolby George, who was one of the best yards after catch receivers in college football last year. Nobody really realized that, but he’s the guy with a lot of ability who might be able to make some more plays with better quarterback play. And then there’s the always reliable Xavier Restrepo who just continues to dominate practice after practice at The U.”

A pass-catcher emerging as the top target seems like a matter of who rather than an if, with several experienced playmakers surrounding Ward ahead of a season where the table is set for a potential breakout year for the fifth-year quarterback and the Hurricanes.

“So Cam Ward’s got a lot of weapons around him, hopefully a little bit more dynamic offense to work with. He’s going to be given a lot of freedom in that offense, and he’s gonna get the chance to meet those expectations that everybody is setting for him and we’re going to find out if he’s good enough to do it,” Ferman concluded.