Cam Ward is the consensus first pick of the 2025 NFL draft, but he spun through three colleges. His first start was at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, which was the only scholarship that he was offered. After two seasons in the Southland Conference, he transferred to Washington State where he became an immediate starter.
Ward played two seasons for the Cougars and peaked in 2023 with 3,736 yards and 25 touchdowns, plus ran in eight more scores. He graduated from Washington State and declared for the NFL draft, but changed his mind and entered the NCAA transfer portal thanks to the extra year allowed from the COVID rules.
The return to college was prompted by a desire to improve his draft stock and take advantage if the NIL rules in college football that allowed payments to players. He led the Hurricanes to a 10-2 record but they missed out on the College Football Playoffs, settling for the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Ward was the ACC Player of the Year, and was the Davey O’Brien and the Manning Award winner as the best college quarterback for 2024.
