Ward was born on May 25, 2002, in West Columbia, Texas.[1] He attended and played football at Columbia High School, completing 72 of 124 passes for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior.[2] As a senior, Ward averaged only 12 pass attempts per game due to playing in Columbia High's Wing T offense.[3] He committed to play at the University of the Incarnate Word, his only scholarship offer.[4][5]
College career
Incarnate Word (2020–2021)
Ward began his collegiate career at Incarnate Word. He was named the Cardinals' starting quarterback going into his freshman season, which was played in the spring after being postponed due to COVID-19.[6]
He passed for 2,260 yards and an FCS-leading 24 touchdowns against four interceptions with two rushing touchdowns in six games during the shortened 2020–21 FCS season, and won the Jerry Rice Award as the most outstanding freshman in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision.[7] Ward passed for 4,648 yards and 47 touchdowns with 10 interceptions as a sophomore and was named the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year.[8] After the end of the season Ward announced that he would be entering the NCAA transfer portal.[9]
Washington State (2022–2023)
Ward announced his commitment to transfer to Washington State on January 10, 2022.[10] He enrolled at the school for the second semester of his sophomore year and was named the starting quarterback for the 2022 season during the Cougars' spring practices.[11] Ward completed 64.4% of his passes for 3,231 yards with 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions and also rushed for five touchdowns.[12] Ward entered the transfer portal on December 1, 2023.[13] He graduated from WSU during their December commencement.
Miami (2024)
He initially declared for the 2024 NFL draft following the 2023 season but later decided to use his remaining eligibility to transfer to Miami for the 2024 season.[14] This decision was influenced by the opportunity to improve his draft stock and take advantage of the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rules in college football.[15] Ward announced his commitment to transfer to Miami on January 13, 2024.[16] During the 2024 season, Ward led Miami to a 10-2 record. Miami lost a close shootout at Syracuse during the final week of the season with a final score of 42-38. The loss eliminated Miami from the ACC Championship Game, allowing Clemson, to make it into the conference championship game instead. Clemson later went on to beat SMU in the conference championship game 34–31, and clinched a playoff berth doing so. Miami finished 13th in the final CFP rankings, and they were the second team out of the playoffs, just behind Alabama. Ward finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting.[17] The Hurricanes matched up with the Iowa State Cyclones in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Playing in just the first half, Ward threw for three touchdowns, setting the career combined FCS (71) and FBS (87) record with 158.[18][19] Ward opted to not play in the second half, in which Miami was outscored by Iowa State, ultimately losing 41–42.[18] Ward's decision received criticism from some commentators and fans.[20] When asked in a post-game interview, Miami's head coach Mario Cristobal decided to keep Ward's reasoning for sitting the second half private.[19]
