Cam Ward Reveals When He Knew Titans Would Draft Him

The Tennessee Titans' first overall pick, Cam Ward, has one of the best football stories. Coming out of high school, he was a zero-star recruit and committed to Incarnate Word, where he quickly made a name for himself. As a sophomore in 2021, he threw for 4,648 yards and 47 touchdowns, and once the season was over, he entered the transfer portal.

Ward then committed to Washington State, where he'd spend the next two years. He was the starter there both seasons, throwing for a combined 6,956 yards and 48 touchdowns. He would enter the portal again after his fourth season and was recruited by some of the top schools in the country, but eventually landed with the Miami Hurricanes.

Many labeled Ward as one of the best quarterbacks in the country in 2024, but I don't know how many people expected what came next. Ward led Miami to the No. 1 scoring offense in the country while throwing for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns. To make this feat sound even more impressive, all of Miami's offensive players who made the NFL this year — outside of Ward — were cut this week.

Once the Titans landed the first overall pick in the draft, it was clear they'd be targeting a quarterback. Ward had separated himself from the rest of the 2025 quarterback class, so pretty much everyone, including Ward himself, quickly knew the Titans would make him the first player off the board in April.

"I would say I knew, at least in my mind, at the Pro Day," said Ward on the Bussin' With The Boys podcast. "That was the first time they got to see me throw in person."

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) hugs Minnesota Vikings cornerback Kahlef Hailassie (25) after an NFL pre-season game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Even though he knew the Titans were going to select him, Ward admitted he was a bit nervous sitting in the green room. The Titans got on the clock, but waited a few minutes to call him up and tell him he was going to be a Titan.

"Even when I was at the draft and they were on the clock, they waited like two or three minutes, and I was like 'what's going on?' But they ended up calling me and telling me they were going to take me."

It feels like the NFL Draft was just a few weeks ago, but somehow we're already less than two weeks away from the Titans' season opener against Denver. Cam Ward will make his regular season debut at Mile High Stadium, and I know Titan fans are eager to see their first overall pick launch this new era of Titans football.

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