Inside Look: Miami Hurricanes priority QB target Cam Ward and what makes him such a special talent

The Miami Hurricanes hosted Cam Ward for an official visit Tuesday and Wednesday, with the top quarterback portal target saying he loved the trip but plans to go ahead with a trip to Florida State and a decision to come in the next week or two.

Plenty remains up at the air and at stake for the talented Washington State signal caller who was No. 4 in passing yards in college football this year (he finished hitting on 66.7 percent of his throws for 3,732 yards with 25 TDs and seven INTs along with eight rushing scores).

CaneSport reached out to a couple of coaches from Ward’s past that know him as well as anyone … and they reinforced that whatever program wins the sweepstakes for him will be getting a heck of a football player, athlete and person.

His personal quarterbacks coach from high school and into his early days at Incarnate Word (which ran the Air Raid and where he was an FCS Second Team All-American and Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2021 before transferring to Washington State) told CaneSport that he can see why a Shannon Dawson offense is appealing to Ward.

Steve Van Meter, a now-retired 38-year coaching veteran, has remained in contact with Ward throughout his college days and also is well acquainted with Dawson’s attack.

“He (Ward) would do well in that (system),” Van Meter said. “I know Shannon well, he’s from the (Dana) Holgorsen tree and Holgorsen is from the (Mike) Leach tree. With Shannon the terminology is probably similar to Washington State because his OC at Washington State (Ben Arbuckle) came from Western Kentucky and I know they were Air Raid people. So I think it’s all interchangeable. I don’t think he (Ward) wants to be in an offense that’s pro-driven.

“With Miami, Miami is Miami, it’s big-time football and he is going to go to a place where he can walk in and be the guy and grow as a quarterback because he will definitely be playing on Sundays. He’s a smart kid and he’ll go where he can grow and showcase all the things he can do.”

Van Meter stresses that Ward thrives on his arm strength, athleticism, intelligence (finished high school at the top of his class) and vision (“He’s the all-time West Columbia High leading scorer in basketball as a point guard – his vision on the court you can see how that transfers a lot to his football; he is so good in the pocket and his eyes are always up, always trying to look to make something happen”).

As for why Ward didn’t have major Power 5 offer out of high school? Well, he didn’t have much film of him throwing the ball around the field with his team running a Wing T. Ward also was very much a raw talent at 6-1 and pushing around 210 pounds (he’s now listed at 6-2 and 223), and he only started as a junior and senior. When Van Meter first got hands on him “you could see the talent in his arm strength, it was incredible, but his footwork and things like keeping his shoulder closed were things we really had to work on,” Van Meter said.

“Once in a while, throw one sidearm, underneath, behind his back,” Van Meter adds. “I encouraged that because I had a kid named Jacob Karam at Texas Tech and he would throw with so many different motions, really good over the top, sidearm. I didn’t want to put Cam in a box and say `you have to throw like this.’ That’ why the ball comes out so quick from his hands.”

And it’s why some compare Ward to a young Patrick Mahomes given his playmaking and different arm angles to get the ball out. That’s a comparison heard by the current head coach at West Columbia High, Earnest Pena. Pena was the defensive coordinator when Ward played there, so he had to go up against him every day in practices.

“One of his former college coaches compared him to Patrick Mahomes,” Pena said. “This was with his arm strength and you see him make throws with different arm angles, getting out of trouble, making a play. For me, I don’t want to compare him to anybody because Cam is going to be Cam. I consider him unique.”

Both coaches say Ward will work as hard as anyone to be the best wherever he winds up. He’s always been a guy to prove the naysayers wrong and get the job done.

“He works his tail off, is smart, a brilliant kid, a great kid,” Pena says. “He deserves every bit of recognition, the accolades that have come his way. He’s smart, studies the game and he’s mature. He loves football.”

“Cam is a hard worker,” Van Meter adds. “He’s unbelievable, his arm strength is unbelievable, he’s athletic, he’s smart. I remember a major college that came down and saw him and then we stayed in touch and they liked him, took it to the head coach and the head coach’s comment was `We don’t think he can make the transition from Wing T’ to what they do. I said in return `Well, he’s one of the sharpest kids I’ve ever been around, so I respectfully disagree.’ I bet they wish they had him now.”

Miami also wishes it can have Ward … and in the next week or two the team will find out if its Ward wish will come true.