Miami drafts Cam Ward and makes a quarterback change in the Pop Tarts Bowl

Cam Ward continued exactly where he left off Miami Offensive in the Pop Tarts Bowl and scored 31 points. But once the Hurricanes got the ball, the second half began, head coach Mario Cristobal decided to change quarterback. Ward is out as Emory Williams took over to close out the game against Iowa State.

As the ESPN broadcast said at the decision, no one would have blamed Ward if he had decided to opt out of the bowl game. The quarterback will likely be one of the top players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, possibly in the top five. An additional game against Iowa State I had no intention of changing Ward’s assessment at this point in the process.

Avoiding injury is usually the main reason players choose not to participate in bowl games. Ward made it through the first half healthy but decided not to test his luck anymore. The last two quarters are in the hands of Williams.

Ward finished the game completing 12 of 19 passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns. With him, Miami scored at will, a common theme in this season’s program. There was even some history written along the way.

Ward’s job now is to cheer on his teammates from the sidelines. He’ll only be in Miami for one season, so he might as well soak it all in before his main focus in life becomes preparing for the next level.

NFL scout explains why teams will ‘fall in love’ with Cam Ward

Ward is expected to be one of the first quarterbacks to hear his name called in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.

ESPN’s Matt Miller, an NFL Draft analyst, has strong thoughts on the Hurricanes’ signal-caller. Ward isn’t his top quarterback in the cycle, but Miller believes Ward’s explosive and exciting brand of football will be attractive to NFL teams during the pre-draft cycle.

“Cam Ward is going to be the player that scouts, general managers and coaches fall in love with,” Miller said during an appearance on SportsCenter Saturday morning. “He’s my No. 2 quarterback, but he’s just a touch behind Shedeur Sanders.

“But they are completely different players. Cam Ward is a playmaker. He’s got a big arm, he’ll move around the pocket to find ideal passing windows, he’ll chase it down the field with speed, and when he’s there he’ll beat you with his legs too.”

On3’s Barkley Truax contributed to this report