Miami quarterback Cam Ward is ninth among ESPN's "Ten Heisman contenders" in its article "100 days to college football: Top games, players, contenders." Ward is the highest-ranked Heisman Contender per ESPN outside of the Big 10 or SEC. Kansas State QB Avery Johnson is the only other non-Big 10 or SEC Heisman Contender per ESPN.
Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins is the only non-QB on the ESPN list of 10 Heisman Contenders. Carson Beck from Georgia tops the list followed by Quinn Ewers of Texas and Dillon Gabriel of Oregon third. Gabriel transferred from Oklahoma for 2024 after beginning his career with Central Florida.
All four 2023 Heisman Trophy Finalists were selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The presence of Ward on the Miami roster has helped the Hurricanes add highly ranked transfer running back Damien Martinez from Oregon State and wide receiver Sam Brown from Houston.
Ward must improve his 2023 numbers to make a strong Heisman push. Jayden Daniels who won the 2023 Heisman Trophy playing for LSU completed 72.2 percent of his pass attempts for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions with 1,134 rushing yards and another 11 scores.
"If he goes to the right place and if he makes the right decision- Cam Ward is going to be in the Heisman trophy race."@JoelKlatt shares his thoughts on Cam Ward's best landing spots after recently entering the transfer portal ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/uOaQyJRc5i
— The Joel Klatt Show: A CFB Pod (@JoelKlattShow) December 12, 2023
"9. Cam Ward, QB, Miami: Miami's back! Maybe. But Ward will most certainly be back on the national college football radar, taking his talents to South Beach(ish) after tossing a combined 13,875 yards and 119 TD passes at Incarnate Word and Washington State, aka the Incarnate Word of the Palouse."Ryan McGee, ESPN
Ward completed 66.6 percent of his pass attempts for 3,736 yards, 25 TDs and seven interceptions, with 144 rushing yards and eight TDs. The Miami single-season records of 3,642 passing yards were set by Cam Ward in 1984 and 29 TDs by Steve Walsh during the 1988 season.
The Miami offense has the potential to be elite in 2024. Leading receivers Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George return to team with Brown, Martinez and Ward this season. Tight end Elijah Arroyo is expected to have a breakthrough season after missing most of the last two seasons with a knee injury.
Ward has an opportunity to be the first Heisman Trophy finalist from Miami since QB Ken Dorsey and RB Willis McGahee finished fifth and fourth in the 2002 voting. Ward must have the best season of his career and lead Miami to compete for an ACC Championship and College Football playoff berth to be a Heisman finalist.