Washington State quarterback Cam Ward declares for NFL draft
Prolific junior passer had been deciding between transfer portal destination or going straight to the pros
Washington State quarterback Cam Ward is headed to the NFL.
The senior was previously exploring his options in the NCAA transfer portal while also deciding if he would go pro.
He chose the latter.
Ward made his declaration for the 2024 NFL draft Monday in a short video on a personal social media account.
Ward threw for 6,963 yards, 48 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in two seasons at Washington State, earning Pac-12 honorable mention honors both years. The passing yards rank eighth and touchdowns seventh in Cougar history.
He also rushed for 202 yards and 13 more scores.
The prolific passer started his career at Incarnate Word of the Football Championship Subdivision, where he earned All-America honors and won the Jerry Rice Award given to the best freshman in the FCS.
He finishes his four-year college career with 13,871 passing yards and a whopping 135 total touchdowns — and one unused year of eligibility remaining.
Last season, Ward passed for 3,732 yards at a 67% clip, threw for 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions and rushed for eight TDs. WSU finished with a 5-7 record.
Ward’s biggest attributes, though, might be what only shows up on game tape. Ward often is seen making crazy plays like his Houdini-like escapes from pass-rush pressure, left-handed passes (he’s right-handed) and last-second passes deep downfield while running for his life.
After graduating at Columbia High School in Columbia, Texas, as a “zero-star” recruit, Ward became one of the most-coveted prospects in the transfer portal this winter.
Ward had Name Image and Likeness offers “north of $1 million,” his dad Calvin Ward told cougfan.com. He was reportedly considering Miami and Florida State, among other destinations.
Instead, he will go straight to the NFL.
In doing so, Ward follows in the footsteps of other former NFL Cougar quarterbacks like Gardner Minshew (2018), who is currently with the Indianapolis Colts.
“We always knew this was gonna be the destination of what he was gonna be doing,” WSU coach Jake Dickert said about Ward last month. “This is not a shock, this is not a surprise. We have always supported Cam. We support Cam and his decision today and we support Cam in efforts going forward.”
Wiebe may be contacted at (208) 848-2260, swiebe@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @StephanSports.
