Cam Ward didn’t have any doubt about his NFL Draft status entering the Miami Hurricanes’ Pro Day on Monday. At this point, the quarterback already knows he has what it takes — and believes he has shown enough — to be the No. 1 overall pick on April 24.
“I think it was solidified throughout film,” Ward said. “Whatever I do on Pro Day, it shouldn’t have no judgment to the film because at the end of the day, it’s about playing football.”
It was clear Ward was the primary attraction in Coral Gables on Monday. There were close to 100 representatives spanning all 32 NFL teams — including a hefty contingent from the Tennessee Titans, who have that No. 1 overall pick — on hand inside the Hurricanes’ Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility to watch Ward, whose meteoric rise up the draft boards came following his lone season with the Hurricanes.
And when Ward finally took the field toward the end of the four-hour day, he showed why he was worth the wait.
He showcased his arm strength and touch over a 45-minute throwing session. He took snaps from center Zach Carpenter and threw passes to receivers Jacolby George, Sam Brown and Xavier Restrepo along with tight ends Elijah Arroyo and Cam McCormick. At one point, he spun around following a throw, locked eyes with scouts from the Titans and said a few words.
“I’m solidifying it today,” Ward said. “They finally got to see me throw in person. That should be all they need to see. But whether they want to give me the pick or not, I’m gonna be happy with whatever team I go to. I’m just trying to play football.”
His day was reminiscent of some of the practices and games from last season when Ward led the nation’s top offense, a unit that paced the country in yards per game (537.2), yards per play (7.57) and points per game (43.9).
Ward was at the center of all of that success, setting the Hurricanes’ single-season school records for completions (305), passing yards (4,313), passing touchdowns (39) and completion percentage (67.2 percent) en route to being a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
It was the final piece of validation for Ward, who had to prove himself his entire NFL career. He was a zero-star recruit out of high school and spent his first two seasons of college football at FCS-level Incarnate Word before spending the next two at Washington State and then finally his final season at Miami.
For his five-year college football career, Ward’s had 18,189 passing yards and 158 passing touchdowns — breaking Case Keenum’s record of 155 for most in a career at the Division I level — against 53 interceptions.
Now, it’s just a waiting game.
“I know it’s slowly approaching,” Ward said of draft day. “I’m just excited to see where I’m gonna end up so I can finally learn the playbook.”
Should Ward hear his name called first next month, he will find himself in rare company among Hurricanes greats.
Miami has only had two players ever go No. 1 overall: quarterback Vinny Testaverde to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987 and defensive tackle Russell Maryland to the Dallas Cowboys in 1991.
Meanwhile, Testaverde and Jim Kelly (No. 14 to the Buffalo Bills in 1983) are the only Hurricanes quarterbacks to ever be selected in the first round.
And Miami hasn’t had a first-round selection at any position since 2021 when Jaelan Phillips went No. 18 to the Dolphins and Greg Rousseau went No. 30 to the Bills.
“It certainly validates a lot of things,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said last week. “I think he’s been that since he’s gotten here, since we started the season. He’s always been just naturally an ambassador, and now he carries that with him as he has opportunities in front of media around the country and in front of so many different venues and opportunities. He’s changed the profile.”
Full Hurricanes Pro Day participation
Overall, the Hurricanes had 20 players take part in their Pro Day on Monday.
The full group: Ward; running back Damien Martinez; wide receivers Sam Brown, Jacolby George and Xavier Restrepo; tight ends Elijah Arroyo and Cam McCormick; offensive linemen Zach Carpenter and Jalen Rivers; defensive linemen Elijah Alston, Tyler Baron, Simeon Barrow, Anthony Campbell, C.J. Clark and Marley Cook; linebacker Francisco Mauigoa; defensive backs Daryl Porter Jr. and Mishael Powell; kicker Andres Borregales; and long snapper Mason Napper.
In addition to Ward, several other Hurricanes are ranked among the top players at their position.
ESPN has Arroyo as the No. 4 tight end in this year’s draft class, Rivers as the No. 10 offensive guard, Martinez as the No. 12 running back, Restrepo as the No. 13 wide receiver, Mauigoa as the No. 16 linebacker, Brown as the No. 22 wide receiver and Baron as the No. 30 edge rusher.
“It’s a big statement for a lot of reasons,” Cristobal said. “It’s progress. It’s more and more progress. It’s a sign of what’s going on inside the building in terms of development and talent acquisition. It shows up more significantly in the win column. I think it shows parents of local recruits and recruits from afar. It’s just a really strong statement of we’re progressing and moving towards all the things that we spoke about doing when we got here a couple of years ago, and that’s another monster step in that direction. ... The guys are going to do really well. They’ve been working their tails off what I’ve seen out here. I wish I could get a couple of them fake IDs and some more eligibility and get them back for next year, but they’re going to do really well. They’re going to be really good players for years.”
Some non-Ward notables from Monday:
▪ Barrow led all players with 32 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. Cook (30) and Carpenter (29) also had impressive showings
▪ The top players in the vertical leap: Mauigoa (37 inches), George (36 inches), Porter (36 inches) and Powell (32.5 inches)
▪ Restrepo, the Hurricanes’ career leader in receptions and receiving yards, struggled in the 40-yard dash, running an unofficial 4.83.
▪ Borregales impressed during kicking drills to start on-field events, including hitting a 65-yard field goal.