A little after midnight on Sunday, hours after he dazzled a national audience in his Miami debut, Cameron Ward was already breaking down film of Florida A&M -- the Hurricanes' next opponent -- when he called his parents to make sure they got home safe.
There was no big celebration after throwing 385 yards and three touchdowns in a dominant 41-17 win on the road at Florida. No relishing in the fact he immediately jumped up the Heisman Trophy gambling odds as a new favorite.
Instead it was back to work for Ward, who is far more used to being counted out than championed during a long, winding career that took him from Incarnate Word to Washington State and finally Miami.
"People can pat him on the back and tell him how great he is," Calvin Ward, Cameron's father, told CBS Sports. "He doesn't hear it. He doesn't want any pats on the back. All he wants to hear is for people to tell him he's not good enough to play at this level."
Ward has heard that plenty in his career. It powered him to the head of a Miami team that looks like a legitimate College Football Playoff contender in a wide-open Atlantic Coast Conference. There was little interest in the 6-foot-2 quarterback coming out of West Columbia, Texas, despite his parents taking him to football camps all over the country in an attempt to showcase his talents. He didn't have much high school game film to show off his passing skills -- that's what happens when you only throw a handful of times in a Wing-T offense -- and had to settle for FCS program Incarnate Word.
Fast forward to December 2023 when Ward was the hottest prospect available in the transfer portal following a stellar season at Washington State. Quarterback-needy teams saw a player who could immediately change their trajectory for the better, setting up a high-stakes battle that ultimately came down to Florida State and Miami. That back-and-forth recruiting war ultimately got too rich for Florida State's liking, according to sources familiar with the situation. Meanwhile Miami was all in on what it believed to be a perfect fit for both parties. Ward's NIL compensation is believed to be in the seven figure range, according to industry sources. Florida State pivoted and instead signed Oregon State transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.
As he considered Miami and Florida State, he also weighed eschewing college football altogether to head to the NFL. After going back and forth on what he wanted to do, Ward announced on New Year's Day that he'd be entering the NFL Draft and start training down in Florida, although he wouldn't sign an agent.
In what Ward described as many "sleepless" nights, he wrestled with whether to start the next stage of his career or give college one more go. Miami stayed in touch throughout what turned out to be a 12-day process, selling Ward on its vision for his development and growth in Coral Gables, but also hedged against Ward's potential move to the NFL by signing Albany transfer quarterback Reese Poffenbarger.
Ward never got an official draft grade but his father said predictions ranged from late first round to Day 3. Most feedback had him as a Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) pick. Ultimately, Ward felt like there was still more to be done in college and that Miami could help him become a surefire first round pick.
Despite the significant compensation offered during the expedited transfer portal recruiting process, Ward's father claimed the final decision really wasn't about money. Instead, Miami won Ward over by appealing to his underdog status and how both sides could collectively help elevate each other to the level they belonged. After a 12-13 start to his Miami tenure, coach Mario Cristobal knew he needed a major impact player at quarterback.
"He felt very comfortable with Miami and what Miami was trying to do, not only offensively but defensively," the elder Ward said. "Miami is a storied program but they hadn't had much success in the last few years and (Cam's) viewed like a sleeper. He thought it was a perfect fit of I can go help Miami and Miami can help me. He loved what they did offensively."
Saturday was just a preview of what Ward can do this year. Only one game into his Hurricanes career, the Miami quarterback already believes eschewing the NFL was "the best decision I made." His father, Calvin, who has traveled to all of his son's games called it a "magical" experience and his favorite game of his son's college career.
"I can gratefully say that God put me in this position against an SEC team," Cam Ward said after the game. "It didn't work out how I wanted early on, but he got a plan for me. Just the things that I had to go through personally recruiting-wise led me to this moment around great teammates and a great coaching staff."
Ward's deicision to sign with to Miami and Uiagalelei's to go with Florida State have already made a big impact on the 2024 season. Miami is ranked No. 12 in the country after its Ward-led win over Florida. Florida State is 0-2 and the first ever Associated Press poll top-10 preseason team to not receive votes in Week 1. With Ward, Miami looks capable of beating anyone while Florida State's serious offensive problems start at the quarterback position. That's the power, for better and worse, the transfer portal can have on your team's potential now.
For Miami, Ward already has fans dreaming of a national relevance the program hasn't truly seen in years. Just don't bother telling him that because he's too busy getting ready for what's next.
"He only sees I made the wrong read on this or I should have gone here with the ball," Calvin Ward said. "He's going to constantly get better, he's going to constantly improve because he's constantly working at it."
