Cam Ward may have just revealed one of Miami’s biggest recent "what ifs." In a new appearance on Bussin’ With The Boys, Ward says he called Jeremiah Smith before his own transfer to UM was public and pitched him on joining forces in Coral Gables. Ward added that he believed announcing his decision earlier might have given the Hurricanes a better shot. Of course, Smith ended up choosing Ohio State and put the football world on notice in his freshman season.
Cam Ward opens up about trying recruit Jeremiah Smith to Miami. pic.twitter.com/EG8uchbgND
— Grant Speaks (@GrantSpeaks1) August 26, 2025
"They tell me to just look him [Jeremiah Smith] up, watch him a little bit. That boy's a baller... I called him and I told him I am going to Miami... He ended up going to Ohio State. I was kind of salty but I'm glad he went to Ohio State."Cam Ward
From Miami’s perspective, the pitch was obvious. Ward arrived as one of the sport’s best playmakers, and Smith — the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 class and arguably the highest-touted WR prospect of the modern era — was a South Florida native with family and football roots here.
Ward went on to pilot the nation’s top offense at Miami and became the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Smith, meanwhile, exploded as a true freshman at Ohio State with 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, helping the Buckeyes win the national title. Ward admitted he was “salty” when Smith stuck with OSU but, in hindsight, called it a great decision for the receiver’s development.
Miami's offense averaged 43.9 points per game last season so the addition of Smith would have been a "rich get richer" scenario. It's tough to speculate where the Hurricanes would have ended up last season had Smith decided to come play for Miami, but it probably would have been better than a loss in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.