Insider believes Cam Ward's exit won't hamper Miami Hurricanes

The Miami Hurricanes hit a high for their program last year thanks in no small part to Cam Ward's ascension. He became the number one overall pick, and in doing so he had a ton of success for the Canes. The only problem is that the upward growth might end because he's gone to the NFL. 

Replacing him is no scrub in Carson Beck, but Beck transferred because he wasn't NFL-bound and clearly wasn't on Ward's level. He began the year as an NFL draft pick likelihood, but that didn't pan out so much, so he transferred instead of going pro. And despite that supposed step back at QB, one insider believes Miami will at least hold pat in 2025. 

Bill Connelly wrote, "This one's definitely more about sustaining gains than prepping for another surge. You can only rise so much higher than 10th. But I do think Mario Cristobal's Hurricanes have a chance of matching last year's general quality, albeit in a more balanced way: The offense will almost certainly regress a bit while the defense improves. If the latter matches or outpaces the former, voila, sustained gains!"

The defense should be crucial to this. Connelly believes health and more bodies up front should open things up for stud lineman Rueben Bain Jr., who could have a "huge" season. The insider added, "I really like the additions in the secondary, especially ultra-aggressive safety Zechariah Poyser (Jacksonville State). The Miami defense should have never been as poor as it was late last fall, but it will have a chance to make amends in 2025."

So despite losing the best QB to come through the program in quite some time, the Hurricanes have the pieces in place to withstand that loss. They might even improve thanks to a dominant defensive player and really good coaching, but if nothing else, don't expect a major regression.