After an incredible year in Coral Gables to cap a record-setting college career, Cam Ward is now the #1 pick in the NFL draft.
Welcome to the NFL, Cam Ward!
With the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans selected Miami Hurricanes QB Cam Ward.
Ward joins a prestigious fraternity as the #1 overall pick. He is the 3rd Miami player to ever be drafted #1 overall, joining Vinny Testaverde (1987) and Russell Maryland (1991) with that distinction. Ward joins RB Earl Campbell (1978) in being drafted #1 overall by the Tennessee Titans (though Campbell was drafted when the team was known as the Houston Oilers).
Ward is the highest drafted QB ever by the Titans, eclipsing the #2 overall pick used on Marcus Mariota 2015.
A native of West Columbia, TX, Ward’s journey to Miami, and to the #1 pick has been well chronicled. After playing HS in a Wing-T system, Ward had 0 stars on any recruiting service. The only team to offer him a scholarship was Incarnate Word, an FCS team in San Antonio. That is where Ward’s path to #1 began.
Ward starred for UIW for 2 years, earning awards and helping them to conference titles along the way. In the shortened 2020 COVID season, Ward had 2,260 yards passing on 60.4% completions with 24 TDs and just 4 interceptions. Ward’s performance, and the team’s success, increased dramatically.
In 13 games in 2021, completed 384-of-590 (65.1%) passes for 4,648 yards with 47 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. UIW went 10-3, winning the Southland Conference Championship, and made it to the 2nd round of the FCS playoffs. For his individual performance, Ward was named an FCS Second Team All-American was the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Ward was a finalist for Walter Payton Award, given to most outstanding player in FCS.
After his time at UIW, Ward transferred up to the FBS level, picking Washington State Cougars as his next team.
In his 2 years at Wazzu, Ward continued to post astronomical stats and made a name for himself as one of the best quarterbacks in America. Ward started all 25 games of career at WSU, and had 6,963 passing yards on 65.5% completions and 48 touchdowns compared to 16 interceptions. Ward added 13 rushing touchdowns over the 2 years at Wazzu as well.
After initially declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft, Ward reconsidered his options after receiving a mid-round grade from the NFL advisory panel, and reversed his decision and decided to transfer to Miami.
In his year at Miami, Ward was nothing short of incredible. He led Miami to the #1 offense in America, and rewrote the Miami, and Division 1, record books along the way. In his year at Miami, Ward went 305 for 454 passing (67.0% completions) for 4,313 yards with 39 TDs and 7 interceptions. He also added 204 yards and 4 TDs rushing, and 1 catch for 7 yards and 1 touchdown. Ward’s final touchdown pass was the 158th of his illustrious career, and set the all-time Division 1 passing touchdown record.
Along the way of this incredible season, Ward made routine plays become excellent, and standout plays become legendary. I’m sure they’ve showed it on the draft coverage, but plays like this one — the play of the year — are prime examples of the elite talent Ward possesses.
CAM WARD ARE YOU KIDDING
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 31, 2024
For his efforts and elite performance in 2024, Ward raked in the awards. He was named the ACC Player of the Year, ACC Offensive Player of the Year, 1st team All-ACC, consensus 1st team All-American, Davey O’Brien Award winner as the best QB in the Country, and was 4th in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.
Ward’s stellar performance in 2024 elevated him to the top of the NFL draft projection early, and he never left that spot. Over the course of the offseason and draft process, Tennessee was strongly linked to Ward as the Titans look for their QB of the future. If there was any doubt about that early in the process, that doubt was removed when the Titans sent nearly the entire organization’s leadership to Miami’s pro day in March, including multiple video and content creator staff members to chronicle the event. The Titans doubled down and had a private workout with Ward just days later.
All of that journey led us here, to Ward being the #1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, setting off for Tennessee to continue his journey, and begin his NFL career. I can’t wait to see how it goes,
Congratulations, Cam!