Miami quarterback Cam Ward did his part to bring the Hurricanes back to prominence, posting a 10-2 record en route to a trip to New York as a Heisman finalist in 2024.
He fell short of the ultimate goal of bringing a national title back to South Florida for the first time since 2001. But his incredible season has left a mark on the program, and figures of Miami's past have now joined in on projecting his future.
Ward is headed to the NFL in April, and his final collegiate season has helped his stock soar, presumably into the top 10. Former Hurricanes booster Nevin Shapiro has an idea on where he might be headed.
On the Adam "Pac-Man Jones Podcast, Shapiro guaranteed that Ward would land far north of where he left off as an amateur.
"I'm being told through reliable sources-Cam Ward is going to the New York Giants-guaranteed-and the University of Miami's offensive coordinator, Shannon Dawson, is going with him," Shapiro said.
The stars could very well be aligning for Ward to lead the Giants into the next era of New York football.
The Giants are in desperate need of a quarterback. After cutting Daniel Jones and struggling to muster any semblance of an offense during an eight-game losing streak, that much is well known. Where they'll be picking come April, though, is less clear.
New York could earn a top pick – if not the top pick – in the 2025 NFL Draft, in which it'd be in a strong position to draft a passer. As things stand, Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders lead the pack in that regard and are the heavy favorites to suit up in East Rutherford.
It's entirely possible that the Giants get their pick of the litter and take Ward, or whoever is on the clock first prefers Sanders. But guaranteeing a Ward selection is a level of prophecy no one in Miami has the foresight to make – especially a former booster who was convicted of financial crimes that indirectly helped the Hurricanes.
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There's simply too much time between Week 15 of the NFL season and the first few picks of the NFL Draft for anything to be certain. What if New York wins one too many games down the stretch and loses out on an early enough pick? What happens if Ward struggles during the pre-draft circuit, a surprise candidate rises to the top of the class, or the Giants take Sanders, who reasonable minds can call the top quarterback in the class?
Shapiro is known for making ill-fated promises. This is likely one of them.
If New York does land Ward, though, it'd find itself with an incredibly talented passer capable of winning out of structure and elevating talent in ways Jones could not. Flaws in his game might take some time to develop, potentially pushing back his debut, but the potential to be the face of a franchise has long underlined Ward's game.
With experience, athleticism, and a boatload of college production, fans have every right to get excited at the prospect of taking Ward. Putting it in Sharpie, though, is an awfully quick way to be disappointed in April.
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This story was originally published December 10, 2024, 7:10 PM.