Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy evaluates how 'Houdini' Cam Ward will fit in NFL

The expectations were sky-high for quarterback Cam Ward when he transferred to Miami this offseason. Hype he’s been able to live up to after leading the Hurricanes to an 8-0 record and earning the title as the best quarterback currently in college football.

Following two seasons apiece at Incarnate Word and Washington State, Ward was contemplating declaring for the NFL Draft last offseason. Deciding to play one final college in a decision that so far this season is looking like it’s paying off.

“You’re seeing a guy function in more of a pro style offense and I will just say this, it sounds like a cop out, call it whatever you want. He was a really hard eval at Washington state last year,” Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said on Andy & Ari On3. “I mean what he was doing, he was playing mostly off script, he has a Houdini quality to him.”

“I know that’s a really dated reference, not many young people know who Harry Houdini is these days, but he had some magic to him and that’s what you liked about him. You saw him running around, and buying time, and making a lot of great improv plays. But this year, you wanted to see him play more from the pocket, and more on script, and on schedule and I think we’re seeing that.”

Ward has always displayed a unique ability to extend plays and make all the throws he needs to at every arm angle. An area of his game that he still showcases every Saturday with some of the most viral plays on the internet week in and week out.

But Nagy has been impressed with how Ward has been able to play within the pocket and on schedule in offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson‘s scheme. Throwing for 2,746 yards through eight games this season with 28 total touchdowns.

“Shannon Dawson, the OC at Miami, has done a great job. He’s done great things that a lot of places he’s been … You’re still seeing some of those magic plays from Cam Ward, I mean those were we all see on Twitter, right? Like Cam escaping the pocket, side arming the a ball 30 yards downfield on a rope, and that’s great,” Nagy explained. “But we are seeing him play more on time, which is to me where the league is feeling like he’s made his jump.”

Some early mock drafts have Ward projected as one of the top picks in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. A veteran with 50 career starts under his belt and a unique skill set that will make both the rest of his college football season and his draft evaluation process intriguing to watch moving forward.

“A year ago at this time, we didn’t invite Cam Ward to the Senior Bowl. On these calls that we’re on this year a year ago, most teams had him in the fifth and sixth round. So he’s made up a lot of ground, we’ll see how high he’s going to get,” Nagy said. “I think that’s going to be, to me, one of the most fascinating things in this year’s draft is knowing where teams had him a year ago and where, at least some of the media, are projecting him now. Where does it end up in April? Where does he end up?”

Ward will look to keep the No. 5 ranked Hurricanes undefeated this Saturday when they host Duke in an ACC matchup kicking off at noon ET.