As the mayhem of the NCAA football transfer portal engulfs the media for the foreseeable future, one of the biggest names transferring out of the dissolved PAC 12 conference is Washington State University quarterback Cam Ward. Ward was the starter for the Cougars for two years and is one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. With a year of eligibility left, here are five schools Cam Ward should transfer to, and five he should stay away from.
Transfer to: Ohio State
With the departure of Kyle McCord, there is an opening at quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State uses the powerful run game to set up the vertical play action pass. This will be different than the system that Ward ran at WSU, in the sense that at Ohio State he will get the chance to show off his powerful arm instead of throwing screen passes left and right. Also, Ohio State actually has a solid run game, something that the Cougars have struggled to put together.
Stay away from: Washington
Ex-Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers announced his commitment to the University of Washington on December 15th, meaning the void that the huskies will suffer from losing Michael Penix Jr. has been filled. As painful as it would be for WSU fans to see Ward transfer to their biggest rival, the offense would have been a good fit for Ward. Ward would have had a solid offensive line, something he did not have at Washington State, as well as the play calling to throw the ball downfield and make big plays. However, UW has seemingly gone in a different direction, and for that reason Ward should no longer consider joining the nation’s best offense.
Transfer to: Florida State
Ward was seen on a visit to Florida State in early to mid-December but hasn’t commented on how that visit went. With FSU quarterback Jordan Travis entering the 2024 NFL Draft, Ward will have the chance to start for an ACC team. Ward would most likely win a quarterback battle with Tate Rodemaker, who took over for Jordan Travis following his injury. Even though Rodemaker lead the Seminoles to an undefeated season, apparently in the eyes of the playoff committee he wasn’t good enough. Digression aside, Florida State could be a good fit for Ward, and
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Stay away from: Texas
With Texas making the four team College Football Playoffs in 2023, there isn’t a whole lot more that the team can do to improve. Besides the quarterback room in 2023 was stacked with guys like Quinn Ewers, Maalik Murphy, and Arch Manning. Despite the University of Texas being a three-hour drive from Ward’s home town, there is no way he would get any playing time in such a stacked quarterback room like the Longhorns have.
Transfer to: Texas Tech
If Ward were to transfer to Texas Tech, he would automatically be reunited with former teammate at WSU, Josh Kelley, who was one of Ward’s best pass catchers in 2023. Kelley announced his transfer to Texas Tech on December 15th. Ward is from West Columbia Texas, which is a nine-hour drive away from Texas Tech’s stadium. Regardless, transferring back to his home state with the chance to reunite with a teammate that Ward has good chemistry with isn’t an opportunity that comes around very often.
Stay away from: Colorado
The University of Colorado has been a huge destination for transfers the past two years. Who doesn’t want to play for Coach Deion Sanders? But despite how popular Colorado may be, the quarterback position is filled. Deion’s son Shedeur Sanders is the team’s quarterback, and some speculate that favoritism may be occurring in the Colorado locker room (what, the father is biased towards his son? That’s crazy, who saw that one coming). Even with the QB position filled, Colorado recently received a quarterback transfer from Kentucky Destin Wade. As fun as it would be to play for Coach Deion, this would not be a great fit for Ward.
Transfer to: Miami (FL)
Ward took a visit to Miami in early December, and said that he enjoyed his trip to Miami, as it gave him insight into transferring to a new school. Miami has been inconsistent with their quarterback play for the past five years, and even though the team has found themselves bowl eligible four of the past five seasons, Miami has been an up and down program. Adding a star player like Ward will help close the gap of inconsistency that Miami has struggled with, and potentially influence more recruits to commit to Miami. In addition, Ward will get to be the star plyer of a power five team, and maybe even compete for an ACC title. Who doesn’t like a good old symbiotic relationship?
Stay away from: Oregon
One of the projected landing spots for Cam Ward was Oregon, but the Ducks found their new quarterback as former Oklahoma Sooner Dillon Gabriel committed to Oregon early in December. Gabriel will fill the void that will be present with the Bo Nix departure. Ward wouldn’t have been a great fit in Oregon’s system anyways, as he excels when able to improvise and make plays. Oregon’s offense allows for high percentage passes, and Ward struggled when WSU’s offense attempted the same thing in 2023.
Transfer to: Oklahoma
With Dillon Gabriel transferring to Oregon, the Sooners are looking for a new top quarterback to compete in the Big 12. Oklahoma had one of the top scoring offenses in the nation in 2023. The team’s leading rusher, and two of the team’s top three pass catchers will be returning to the Sooners in 2024. Ward could step in and immediately have control of one of the nation’s top offenses.
Stay away from: Any FCS School
Ward transferred to Washington State from FCS school Incarnate Ward. There, Cam Ward balled out and enjoyed padding his stats. He expressed frustration upon joining the Cougs in 2022, and often times fell apart in the face of adversity. Some wondered if Ward regretted transferring to WSU in the first place. If Ward wants to make it to the NFL, he needs to play potential NFL competition, which can be found in a power five conference. The easy thing for Ward to do would be to join an FCS school and obliterate any competition; however, this will not help him develop as a quarterback. As tempting as it may be to avoid frustration and dominate lower levels of competition, productive struggle with tough opponents is going to be what ultimately gets him the opportunity to play on Sundays.
