J.D. PicKell: With portal addition of QB Cam Ward, Miami Hurricanes could make big splash in ACC and on national scene in 2024

The Miami Hurricanes needed an elite quarterback after a couple of inconsistent seasons with the now-departed Tyler Van Dyke at the helm. And the Canes filled that need with Washington State’s Cam Ward.

Ward chose UM after initially announcing he would turn pro, but better late than never, right?

And Ward is a proven talent. The 6-2, 221-pound senior was No. 4 in passing yards in college football this past season, finishing hitting on 66.7 percent of his throws for 3,732 yards (311.0 yards per game) with 25 TDs and seven INTs (adding eight rushing scores). He threw a touchdown in every game except against Arizona, and had four TD passes vs. Northern Colorado and Oregon State. He had over 400 passing yards against Colorado State, Oregon State and at Oregon.

In 2022, Ward started every game for Washington State and hit on 64.4 percent of his passes for 3,231 yards with 23 TDs and nine interceptions (he added five rushing scores). And in 2021 at Incarnate Word he was an FCS Second Team All-American and Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year after completing 65.1 percent of his passes for 4,648 yards with 47 TD passes and 10 INTs (1 rushing score). As a freshman there in 2020 he won the Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman player in FCS – in six games he threw for 2,260 yards (60.4 percent completion rate) with 24 TDs and four INTs, adding two rushing scores.

He’s a guy that can get it done with his arm and legs, and he’s operated out of an Air-Raid system at his prior stops.

Today On3’s J.D. PicKell weighs in with his thoughts on what the Ward addition means for this Miami team.

Big picture?

Off the last two seasons with 5-7 and 7-6 records, PicKell says with the current Miami roster, including a talented 2023 class and Ward, that “The ACC feels pretty wide open. And that’s not to speak negatively of the ACC. With all the pieces lost by FSU and the question marks with Clemson, adding Cam Ward we could look back in a year or so and say `That’s what put Miami in the top, allowed them to win the ACC.’ They’re still climbing the mountain right now.”

He points to this as another example of Mario Cristobal as “a roster builder” who never settles when it comes to adding top talent.

“He’s been (great) on the recruiting trail, in the transfer portal landing a bigtime talent like Cam Ward,” PicKell said. “So this could be the year now for Miami. I say `could be’ underlined and in italics and bold print. Look at how they’re trending. 5-7, 7-6, this could be their pop year. It’s trending now the way Texas did when Steve Sarkisian was in his third year. Went 5-7, 8-5 and finished this past year with a conference title and a college football playoff  berth.

“The ACC feels pretty wide open, Cam Ward is a massive acquisition. Bigtime get for the Hurricanes. I love the fit for Cam Ward, for their offense, can’t wait to watch it.”

As it pertains individually to Ward? PicKell says it’s a home run for him in addition to Miami.

“This makes the most sense for Cam Ward when it comes to his desire to play in the NFL,” PicKell said. “And this is not to say Cam Ward could not have been drafted this year, could not have been successful in the NFL should he have been drafted. Not saying he couldn’t have gone in the first three rounds. But if he goes back to school, he is, he has a chance to improve on his draft stock, play on a bigger stage, play in an offense that benefits his skillset.”

PicKell also says it’s a less-heavy quarterback class potentially in 2025, so hypothetically Ward could “have a great year and become the top guy next year.”

PicKell pointed out how last year Shannon Dawson’s offense wasn’t able to really get going with the downfield passing game. That was in part due to Van Dyke’s issues.

“There wasn’t this consistency at quarterback, they had issues turning the ball over,” PicKell said. “They gave the ball away twice a game, more or less. Cam Ward had 150 more attempts than Tyler Van Dyke and threw five less interceptions. So not only does he bring less turnovers, he also fits really well with what (coordinator) Shannon Dawson I think wants to do. He comes from an Air-Raid background. Cam Ward averaged 7.7 yards per pass last season at Washington State.”

PicKell adds “I think you need to have a mobile quarterback in modern college football” and points to this past season with the QBs at Alabama, Michigan and Washington. Ward, of course, ran in 8 scores last season.

With this a one-year audition for Ward, PicKell thinks it can be a home run all the way around.

“If you are Cam Ward you want to put your best foot forward for NFL stocks,” PicKell said. “What better way than putting up numbers in a quarterback-friendly more or less Air-Raidesque sort of offense and build upon what you did well?

“I want to see him go out there and sling it.”