How Long Can The Miami Hurricanes Wait For A Cam Ward Decision?
Cam Ward had what seemed like a productive and enjoyable visit to Miami this week. However, he left Coral Gables without committing. Next, the Washington State transfer is off to Florida State for a visit with the Seminoles.
Miami fans have been reaching out to me with concerns that if Mario Cristobal waits too long for Ward to make up his mind, Miami might not only miss out on Ward, but lose out on other options who may commit elsewhere in the meantime.
If you compare the transfer portal frenzy to a game of musical chairs, could Miami be left without a seat (ie a quarterback) when the music stops?
Right before Ward visited, Miami hosted Kansas State transfer Will Howard. I can confirm that Miami really likes Howard. There's been buzz, although not confirmed, that Howard might be ready to commit to Miami if given the green light.
One suggestion I've seen today from Miami fans is that the Hurricanes should sign Howard now and give up on Ward entirely. Obviously, that suggestion assumes that Howard is ready to be a Hurricane right now, which I cannot confirm.
While Miami can't wait forever for Ward to decide, I feel strongly that their best option is to at least wait out his Florida State visit before moving on to the next target.
Let me explain.
There are three things I believe to be true about Cam Ward and Miami:
1. Ward is Miami's top target at quarterback. He's the one they covet most of all.
2. Miami believes Ward's interest in their program is legitimate even though he decided to see at least one more school (FSU).
3. Miami and Florida State are Ward's two finalists.
If Miami gives up on Ward today and takes another quarterback, they are essentially handing Ward to Florida State on a silver platter. If one of his two finalists drops out, he slides right to the other. In that case, your top rival gains an electric playmaker because you gave him right to them without a fight.
Sure, if Miami missed out on Ward AND Howard because they waited too long for Ward, the Canes fanbase would flip out. However, if Miami just hands him to Florida State and he winds up having a monster season playing for their top rival, Miami fans would flip out in that scenario, too.
Ward mentioned in an interview that he plans to make a decision in one to two weeks. If he really does wait another fourteen days to commit somewhere, that might truly be too long for Miami, or Florida State for that matter, to wait.
But my message remains the same, you must wait at least through the weekend to let the dust settle from his FSU visit and assess the situation from there. Patience from Miami's coaches and fans is required. Fans also need to trust the fact that Miami's staff has a much better grasp about where they stand with Ward than any of the fans, message board posters, or bloggers do.
Ideally, Miami will have their next starting quarterback committed by or before National Signing Day on December 20th. Current commits and prospective ones would like to know who the signal caller will be. Waiting through the weekend should not be an issue. Waiting past Wednesday might be...
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