Cam Ward is all about The U now, and no longer about the 2024 NFL Draft anymore

It was head-scratching when it happened, but thankfully, it was only short-lived. While I certainly loved how brief Cam Ward's precious declaration for the 2024 NFL Draft was, going back to school like Billy Madison was good for our collective souls. The former Washington State and Incarnate Word quarterback is an incredibly fun player to watch, but it was too early to take that bun out of the oven.

A few weeks after saying he was turning pro, Ward reneged on that by committing to Miami on Saturday night. The Hurricanes waited patiently to find their replacement for Tyler Van Dyke in the portal. To be honest, I thought Mario Cristobal's team was not going to get one, but they stayed the course and got one of the best pickups in the portal in Ward. Florida State now has DJ Uiagalelei...

While Mike Norvell got a fat raise to stay at Florida State, Miami got the better quarterback for 2024. Admittedly, Ward only played something around .500 football in Pullman, but his arm talent is undeniable. Although I do understand why NFL scouts may covet his tangibles at the next level, this was the wrong NFL Draft to declare for. There might be as many as six quarterbacks going top-32.

Here is Hayes Fawcett's sweet graphic from On3 to let you know that thing is unofficially official.

The big question now is what can Ward do to improve his draft stock and make Miami a better team.

Cam Ward decides the NFL Draft is not for him just yet, is all about The U

To say this move is huge for both parties could not be more true. For Ward, he gets one more year's worth of starts to prove he is a first-round caliber quarterback. Next spring could give us the likes of Carson Beck, Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe and Shedeur Sanders. If Ward balls out, he could make it upwards of five. One of those four may not be first-rounders, but all four certainly do look like it now.

And for Miami, Ward could be the catalyst Cristobal needs to stave off a mutiny of sorts. He may be a Miami alum, but this thing is starting to smell more and more like Scott Frost rotten fish with every passing day. By getting a quarterback of Ward's caliber to commit to Miami, look for the Hurricanes to be a force to be reckoned with in the ACC. Keep in mind their top two teams will make the playoff now.

With Florida State in a state of flux, look for Miami to take advantage of this real opportunity. Clemson looks to be strong, and keep an eye on North Carolina State. While teams like Boston College and Georgia Tech look to be on the come up, North Carolina is slated to pull back. Was Louisville a flash in the pan, and what should we make of Maalik Murphy committing to Duke to go play for Manny Diaz?

For now, Miami fans can celebrate before seeing their beloved Dolphins flounder in the snow vs. KC.