Greg McElroy tabs Miami's Cam Ward as the most impactful transfer QB in 2024
There was no shortage of talented quarterbacks who hit the transfer portal this offseason. However, one particular talent stood out to Greg McElroy. On Thursday, the ESPN analyst revealed which transfer QB he believes will have the greatest impact this fall.
“It’s Cam Ward at Miami,” McElroy said. “You can’t play quarterback by yourself either. You need a great supporting cast, and I look at what he’s going to be taking the field with. Two of the top receivers in the ACC last year, in terms of production, are both back.
“He also brings in an elite running back in Damien Martinez. You look, too, at where Miami struggled last year. Miami was a good football team last year. The problem is they just gave up games. They just gift wrapped them and gave them to the other team because they were not efficient in the red zone offensively, and they also turned the ball over way too much — two things that Cam Ward can help with immediately.”
Miami only found the end zone in 84.6% of its appearances in the red zone last season, ranking No. 64 in the country. Worse, the Hurricanes committed 22 turnovers, which tied for the eighth-most in the nation.
McElroy believes Ward will cure Miami’s offense of the ailments it faced last season. While at Washington State in 2023, Ward tallied 25 passing touchdowns and eight rushing scores while throwing just seven interceptions. The Texas native finished the season with 3,735 passing yards, the fifth-most in the country.
“With the quarterback run game, which Cam Ward excels at, that’s going to help as the field condenses,” McElroy said. “And the fact he doesn’t throw picks actually makes Miami one of the biggest contenders, not just in the ACC, but to make the playoffs.
“We’re going to be fasting forward all the way to the end of the year and Miami is going to have one of those first-round byes because I think right now, they probably have the best roster on paper in the Atlantic Coast Conference.”
Miami boasts a loaded roster entering the 2024 campaign. The team returns 66% of its production from last year while adding the No. 17 transfer class, according to On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings.
In his debut campaign at the helm in 2022, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal guided the Hurricanes to a 5-7 finish. Last season, Miami improved its overall record to 7-5. McElroy believes Miami will take another leap forward this season with Cam Ward leading the charge.