"He's the ultimate competitor": Miami HC Mario Cristobal praises QB Cam Ward at Heisman Trophy ceremony

Miami coach Mario Cristobal praised Cam Ward during the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Thanks to the quarterback, the coach had his best season with the Hurricanes in 2024, finishing with a 10-2 record and narrowly missing out on the ACC championship game.

In an interaction with ESPN’s Holly Rowe on Saturday night, Cristobal gave a good review of Ward and his contribution to the team this season. The quarterback was also at Lincoln Center in New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation as one of the four finalists.

"He's the ultimate competitor. He's the ultimate teammate, and he's an elite human being," Cristobal said. "Through his leadership and his hard work, he's elevated the program and everybody around him to national prominence.

“He's had a positive impact on everyone that's come across him. I can't say enough great things about him. He's the best player I've ever been around and the best quarterback in the country."

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Where did Cam Ward finish in the Heisman Trophy voting?

Cam Ward finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting on Saturday night. The quarterback recorded a total of 229 points, which placed him behind the three other finalists - eventual winner Travis Hunter (2,231), Ashton Jeanty (2,017) and Dillon Gabriel (516).

Ward had six first-place votes, 24 second-place votes and 163 third-place votes in the Heisman Trophy ballot. For the quarterback, it comes as a reward for his superb performance on Miami's offense this season, throwing for 4,123 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Had he won the Heisman Trophy, Ward would have been the third Hurricane to claim the coveted honor, joining Vinny Testaverde in 1986 and Gino Torretta in 1992.

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Cam Ward explains what the College Football Playoff left out

After missing out on the ACC championship game, Miami was left out of the College Football Playoff. The duo of SMU and Clemson represented the conference in the postseason tournament. Cam Ward said about what the playoff will be missing without the Hurricanes.

“I’m really over it at this point,” Ward said. “Can’t go back in the past and control anything. I mean, at the end of day, they left out the best quarterback in the country. They left out the best offense in the country. So, they’re gonna do what they got to do."

Ward also offered his opinion on the number of teams in the playoffs. The quarterback believes 16 to 24 teams would be the sweet spot for the CFP. The playoff will witness 12 teams for the first time this season.