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Cam Ward takes home Manning Award following record-breaking 2024 campaign
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Cam Ward made his 1 season at Miami count.
He didn’t win a national title, but the Washington State transfer put up eye-popping numbers and on Wednesday he was rewarded by winning the Manning Award. The honor has been annually given to college football’s best quarterback since 2004, and in 2024 Ward made his presence felt in the ACC and on the national stage.
Ward threw for an astounding 4,313 yards, with 39 touchdown passes and just 7 interceptions. He had an 88.7 QBR.
But that was just part of the story, as Ward terrorized defenses with his legs, too. Ward had 204 yards rushing and 4 rushing touchdowns, helping the Hurricanes stay in the College Football Playoff picture deep into the regular season before a costly loss at Syracuse derailed those Playoff hopes.
Ward’s record-breaking season ended in controversy during the Pop Tart Bowl on Dec. 28. Miami lost to Iowa State, 42-41, with Ward playing only the first half before mysteriously sitting out the second half. Ward had 190 yards passing and 3 touchdown passes during that high-octane first half before deciding to sit out the final 30 minutes of his collegiate career. He did manage to break the Division I record for touchdown passes in a career, however.
Now, Ward plays the waiting game as he prepares for the 2025 NFL Draft, where he’s expected to be one of the top picks.
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Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
