Cam Ward surprised the college football world earlier this offseason when he decided to spurn the NFL Draft and commit to Miami for the 2024 campaign.

As a result of that decision, Ward and the Hurricanes will enter 2024 with huge expectations as Mario Cristobal begins his 3rd year as head coach at Miami.

On Thursday, ESPN published a new “superlatives” piece focusing on some of the top transfers from the winter window. Ward was selected by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg as the transfer quarterback who will have the “biggest impact” on college football in 2024.

Here’s an excerpt of Rittenberg’s analysis:

Miami couldn’t take the next step with Tyler Van Dyke at quarterback, but Ward could truly thrive in the Air Raid-style system under coordinator Shannon Dawson. Miami finished 42nd nationally in pass offense in 2023 but should easily rise into the top 25 with Ward at the helm.

Ward completed over 66% of his passes last season for 3,736 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also rushed for 8 more scores on the ground.

Miami is expected to compete for the ACC title next season after improving to 7-6 during the 2023 campaign. The Hurricanes could also contend for a spot in the newly-expanded College Football Playoff in 2024.