Why did Cam Ward leave WSU? Exploring Miami star's decision to transfer

Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward has had a meteoric rise in college football. He started playing for the Incarnate Word Cardinals in the FCS before transferring to the Washington State Cougars in 2022. Ward then entered the transfer portal last season and joined the Miami Hurricanes.

At WSU, Ward had a stellar 2023 season, throwing 3,736 yards and 33 touchdowns. However, he opted for coach Mario Cristobal's Canes after visiting with the Florida State Seminoles, who were trying to replace influential quarterback Jordan Travis in December.

During an appearance on Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sander's podcast, "2 Legendary," the Miami quarterback revealed why he entered the transfer portal from Washington State.

"I went to Wazzou [Washington State]. My head coach at UIW was the OC there, so I went there as well. I made a couple of plays at Wazzou, but I felt my time was up this past season. I wanted something fresh, and I went to U [University of Miami]," Ward said.

Cam Ward was extensively recruited by legendary rapper

Cam Ward was in high demand, as up to 10 programs were reported to be vying for his signature. Fox Sports analyst Brock Huard revealed that schools were willing to pay a lot of money to secure his commitment.

During his two-year Washington State Cougars career, Ward threw 6,963 yards and 48 touchdowns, accounting for the level of interest in his services by elite FBS teams.

When Ward visited Miami, the Hurricanes pulled out all the stops to make his visit memorable, with him and his family treated to dinner at the exclusive Prime 112 restaurant on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach.

The program even brought out the big guns to try and convince the quarterback to sign with Miami, with a picture of Ward and rapper Rick Ross posted on Instagram.

During the "2 Legendary" podcast with fellow quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the outspoken Cam Ward also explained his decision to enter the NFL draft in January, although he later withdrew his name from consideration.

“When I was going through it, I was ready to be done with college, like just because in the aspect of I threw a lot of touchdown yards, all that. But I played at the level I said I wanted to do. I went from the FCS to the Power Five, a lot of people don’t do that,” Ward said.

Last week, Cam Ward was announced as the favorite for the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year by the conference, showing the esteem with which the quarterback is held.