Cam Ward

Notre Dame alum Jordan Love (left), Miami alum Cam Ward (middle) and Texas Tech alum Patrick Mahomes (right) are among many past participants of the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl.

Plenty of prospects, some of them high-profile, others under-the-radar, have come and gone in the past decade or so, since the inception of the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl. Still, the talent level across the board on the national scene has been about as good as it gets.

Things don’t figure to change anytime soon, as the hype continues to build and build for this year’s games: Dec. 15 at Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, with an encore at the same venue Jan. 13, also another one Jan. 27 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium.

To gain a better understanding about the rapidly growing direction of things, perhaps now it’s best to take some time to reflect on the humble beginnings. Therefore, moving forward, the plan is to more closely examine the brand’s many alumni from all over the country.

The focus this time around is on Cam Ward from from West Columbia (TX). The attention is warranted too, when considering, as a member of the Class of 2020, his name was firmly in the conversation for Offensive MVP as West defeated East, 37-30, at AT&T Stadium.

Still, nothing has changed, even all this time later, eyes remain fixed on Ward. The 6-foot-2 and 222-pound senior quarterback remains firmly in the spotlight, only now with Miami. He’ll be in action against Georgia Tech on Nov. 9 in an ACC game at 12 p.m. (EST).

Ward and his teammates enter the showdown with plenty of momentum after last week’s 53-31 conference victory over Duke. He finished 25-of-41 with 400 passing yards and five touchdowns. This game, perhaps more so than others before, served as an eye opener.

The production should come as little, or no surprise to those that have followed his journey, at all. What a ride it’s been for him, worth noting. We’re talking about a one-time Incarnate Word commit, turned Washington State pledge and finally a Hurricane commit.

In his second year at Incarnate Word, he had 4,648 passing yards and 47 touchdowns. Similarly, in his second year at Washington State, Ward ended up with 3,877 total yards and 33 touchdowns. Of course, the production generated hype and led to his trip to Miami.

In his lone season with the Hurricanes, and what a year it was, he was a Heisman Trophy finalist, the Davey O’Brien Award winner, and finished with 4,517 total yards and 43 touchdowns. Not a bad way to close out a collegiate career, if you ask just about anyone.

Given the past, the future seems bright. A potential invite to the NFL Scouting Combine is in the works. It appears as if a Top 10 selection in the NFL Draft is a possibility. One thing is undisputable, not long ago, Ward lined up in the brand’s All-American Bowl in Texas.