Miami was able to land dynamic transfer quarterback Cam Ward over the weekend, after Ward declared for the NFL Draft weeks ago.

It's the second time since 2020 that Miami has gone into the transfer portal for a signal-caller. That quarterback taken in 2020, D'Eriq King, was the last quarterback to lead Miami to an eight-win season - its best in the last six seasons.

King came to Miami after four years of college football like Ward. The WSU transfer spent his first two years at FCS school Incarnate Word before making the transition to the FBS level. Both are from suburbs just outside of Houston, Texas.

The two quarterbacks have similarities and differences, but how different will the production be for Ward in the orange and green?

King's second-to-last season at Houston was cut short with a non-contact injury, as he tore his meniscus. He played the first 11 games, leading the Cougars to an 8-3 record.

King's first season at Miami also ended with injury. In a 37-34 loss to Oklahoma State in the Cheez-It Bowl, King left the game in the first half, tearing his ACL. He started three games in the following season for Miami but suffered another season-ending injury, hurting his shoulder.

Ward, has no injury history.

In King's first season at Miami in 2020, the Houston transfer completed 64.1 percent of his passes for threw for 2,686 yards. A very similar season to previous quarterback Tyler Van Dyke except for two significant categories.

King's touchdown to interception ratio (23-5) is far better than TVD's (19-12). King ran for 538 yards that year while Van Dyke ran for 16 yards last season.

In 2023, Ward completed 323-of-485 passes for 3,736 yards, 25 touchdowns, and seven interceptions to go along with 144 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. His yardage totals ranked seventh in the nation, just behind four Heisman candidates.

The eye test shows that Ward is a better passer than King. Ward can make plays off-script and connect with receivers after breaking the pocket at a much higher clip.

King perhaps was the better runner of the football, but Ward continues to look to pass after his first and second reads are unavailable. Ward can make big-time throws from the pocket as well.

According to Pro Football Focus, Miami ranked 10th in pass block last season, while Washington State ranked 83rd. Miami also received the 21st highest receiving grade compared to the 71st for WSU.

Ward transferring to Miami should be an upgrade in talent next season, even with two receivers (Colbie Young and Brashard Smith) leaving via the transfer portal and two offensive linemen (Javion Cohen and Matt Lee) declaring for the NFL.

Also, Ward will likely not be asked to do as much with his arm as he did in Pullman. Ward was fifth in the nation in passing attempts (485) last season. Ward had the best completion percentage of the four quarterbacks ranked ahead of Ward in attempts. Miami attempted 404 passing attempts in 2023.

Ward has a great chance to not only exceed the production of King, but obliterate Miami QB production for the last decade. Most important is wins and losses, and if he indeed wins the QB job, eight wins is the floor for Ward, while the ceiling feels unlimited.

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