Xavier Restrepo says goodbye to Cam Ward with Ghibli-style tribute ahead of 2025 NFL Draft

University of Miami wide receiver Xavier Restrepo shared a touching goodbye to his teammate Cam Ward on Instagram yesterday. The image was generated on Open AI's ChatGPT platform, following the recent trend of turning pictures into Studio Ghibli style images.

It was a beautiful farewell between two close teammates as their NFL dreams came calling.

The picture showed Restrepo in jersey no. 7 reaching out to Ward, who wore jersey no. 1, on the field. Both were in their bright orange Miami uniforms with the "U" logo on their white helmets.

Ward soon reposted it, showing he reciprocates the same emotions as well.

Xavier Restrepo says goodbye to Cam Ward with Ghibli-style tribute ahead of 2025 NFL Draft (Source: Via IG/@camward)

The original picture was taken from the Ball State vs. Miami game on September 14. The high-five between the two players took place after scoring a touchdown against the Ball State Cardinals during the first half of the game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Ball State v Miami | MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 14: Wide receiver Xavier Restrepo #7 high fives quarterback Cam Ward #1 of the Miami Hurricanes after scoring against the Ball State Cardinalsduring the first half at Hard Rock Stadium on September 14, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Source: Getty)

It's quite evident that the two 2025 NFL Draft prospects, Ward and Restrepo, built a strong bond during their time at Miami.

Ward had a record-breaking season in 2024 with 4,313 passing yards and 39 touchdowns. Many of those passes were caught by Restrepo, who had back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards.

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Xavier Restrepo and Cam Ward's 2025 NFL Draft projections

As the 2025 NFL Draft gets closer, Cam Ward is expected to be picked first overall, with the Tennessee Titans showing interest.

On the other hand, Xavier Restrepo, despite great stats, ran a slow 40-yard dash at Miami’s Pro Day. So he may go in the fourth or fifth round.

That said, Restrepo later posted a tweet about the Pro Day. He shared that he had hurt his right hamstring during warmups. His leg tightened up just before he ran. It made it hard for him to sprint at full speed.

Even though he was hurting, he still chose to run.

"Don't usually do this but I feel like it's necessary due to the circumstances," Restrepo wrote in a now-deleted tweet.

He continued:

"During warm ups yesterday before the 40, my right hamstring tightened up on me and prohibited me to opening up and running my fastest. The reason I still ran is because for 2 straight weeks I consistently hit 4.53-4.58 last in training and thought I could still pull it off."

The NCAA football star added:

"I did everything just because it's in my blood to compete. With that being said, I am now focusing on getting back to 100% healthy and getting ready to play football! Ready to let God take over!"

Last season, Restrepo was one of Miami’s best players. He caught 69 passes for 1,127 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. However, Miami’s season ended with a tough 42-41 loss to Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.