The best thing about the NIL scene is that it has opened opportunities for college student-athletes to benefit from their Name, Image, and Likeness. But as the CFB regular season advances to Week 4, some players reaped greater financial rewards from their NIL more than others, including Miami QB Cam Ward. 

Cam Ward truly deserves this hype after showing how explosive he can be. He transferred to Miami as a highly sought-after QB after throwing for 3,732 yards and 25 touchdowns at Washington State. As a Hurricane, his first major NIL deal came earlier in September with Nutrabolt’s C4 Energy. In addition to this, his performance as the Miami freshman QB has stolen the spotlight and brought him much closer to an outstanding milestone. 

Cam Ward received the biggest hike in NIL money heading to Week 4. As per On3nil’s Instagram post on September 18, Ward received a $238K increase in his NIL earnings pushing his total to $1.9 million. And this came just in time when he was about to achieve something extraordinary.

Slowly yet steadily, the Hurricanes QB is inching his way towards a milestone that has only one active player – Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel. He’s about to reach the 15,000 career yards milestone in his fifth year in college football. According to the NCAA, there are only 12 players in all its levels who have secured the 15,000-yard mark. Ward just needs 89 more yards which he’s going to undoubtedly sweep up with grace in his next game against South Florida. 

Cam Ward stresses on consistency despite winning streak 

A transfer from Washington State, Cam Ward wasted no time letting his athleticism shine. He became the CFB QB with the most yards thrown this season with 1,035 just behind Ole Miss Jaxson Dart with 1,172. He threw for at least 300 yards per game in their first three wins, becoming the first Miami QB to do so. Still, he’s not leaving anything to chance. 

Following their last win, Cam Ward said, “We have to be more consistent. We can’t have lulls on one play. Every player has to be a statement.” Yeah, he’s already making a statement with 24 completions of 20 yards or more in 89 attempts decorated with 11 touchdowns. USF coach Alex Golesh has high praise for him ahead of their clash on September 22 saying, “Offensively, the QB is making it really go. He’s really special.”

Will Cam Ward add those 89 yards to his resume in an incredible fashion? He’s already the highest-graded QB this season and is very likely to make the next game worth remembering. 

Talking about college football NIL, see what Doug Sanders’ vision for it is in our exclusive Think Tank interview.