Extremely Early Look at who Will Quarterback the Miami Hurricanes Next Season
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No. 12 Miami just had its best offense season in program history, however, superstar quarterback Cam Ward is not coming back. Ward will be entering the NFL Draft after playing at a Heisman level during the 2024 campaign where he is likely to be selected in the top five.
Thanks to Ward, he has turned Miami into a hotspot for different players to come and play for the historic program and try to match the historic season that he put up in only one year. Plus, some players in Coral Gables would also make a great fit for who the next quarterback for the Hurricanes will be.
Emory Williams is one key player in prime position to be the starter next season. He was redshirted this year after Ward joined the team and knew that, barring any setbacks, he wouldn't see the field often. That came to pass and now that he has had two years in the system offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson has been running with the best chance to be the starter.
The redshirt junior is used to being thrown into the spotlight as he was already starting key games during his freshman season where he led the Hurricanes to defeat the Clemson Tigers in one of his signature wins.
Williams is the safe answer for who will be next, but now the question turns to what else is out there. That is when the portal gets interesting with more players starting to enter and top quarterback talents looking for new opportunities.
Some targets that have not entered the portal, are Washington State QB Jake Mateer and Tulane QB Darian Mensah. Both have a great season for their programs and if they do enter the portal they will be priority No. 1 for the Hurricanes.
There are also some players in the room now alongside Emory that could make the jump such as Judd Anderson. He was a freshman last season but has the intangibles of being a great player. He was a consensus three-star prospect by every major scouting service. Ranked No. 38 quarterback prospect in the country by Rivals, rated No. 41 quarterback by ESPN, and No. 42 quarterback by On 3 and ranked among the top 100 prospects in the state of Georgia by both On 3 (No. 62) and Rivals (No. 86).
There is also the addition of Luke Nickel in the latest recruiting class who could also get some time to shine. He is a 6'2 four-star field general who has received praise from NFL Legend Cam Newton.
Whoever it may be, they have huge shoes to feel because of what Ward did for the program and for the team as a whole. Time will tell who will be next as the season is nearing its end with one more game to wrap up the rest of the season.
READ MORE FROM MIAMI HURRICANES ON SI:
Q&A: How the CFP Selection Committee Ranked Miami, and Why
Cam Ward Named ACC and Offensive Player of the Year
Miami Sets Program-Record for All-ACC Football Honors
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.