Miami head coach Mario Cristobal didn’t mince words Monday when issuing a sharp defense of Cam Ward, with the star quarterback — and likely one of the first players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft — fielding criticism after he opted out of the final two quarters of their Pop-Tarts Bowl loss last month.
“I don’t feel the need to go race to squash false narratives and a bunch of bulls–t that people like to start because that’s their way of doing whatever their job is,” Cristobal told reporters during a press conference Monday. “That’s where it’s at. That’s where it’s always been. Cam has been an exceptional, an elite, Miami Hurricane. As a competitor, as a player, as a teammate. He’s elevated the profile, the exposure of the University of Miami.
“He is leaving a legacy that’s gonna be impactful for generations to come. I mean, he’s the best I’ve been around, and I look forward to watching him lead an NFL franchise to championships and watching him play on Sundays.”
With Miami facing Iowa State on Dec. 28, Ward played the first half and threw three touchdowns while setting the Division-I record with his 156th passing touchdown, but he didn’t return for the second half as the Hurricanes fell, 42-41, to end a campaign that — at one point — seemed as if it could reach the College Football Playoffs.
Ward, who spent the first two seasons of his college career at Incarnate Word and transferred to Washington State for the two before his final campaign at Miami, threw for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions for the Hurricanes.
They were positioned to earn a spot in the ACC championship game and were ranked No. 6 before getting upset by Syracuse during the final game of the regular season.
“He’s a big reason why he won 10 games and had a chance to really win every game,” Cristobal said Monday. “… He set the tone for what the standard is, right, the expectation is going forward — as difficult as that might be and sound.”
Ward and Shedeur Sanders are projected by many rankings to become the top two quarterbacks drafted in April.
Miami landed its replacement for Ward last week when Georgia’s Carson Beck — who originally declared for the draft after undergoing elbow surgery and missing Georgia’s season-ending loss in the College Football Playoff — entered the transfer portal and committed to Cristobal and the Hurricanes.
Beck will reportedly receive an NIL package valued at $4 million next season.
