Pac-12 intel: Expect to start hearing a lot more soon about this other Pac-12 QB 

By the end of Washington State’s second and final preseason scrimmage on Saturday, each of the first-team offense’s four drives had ended the same way. 

With Cameron Ward touchdown passes.

For Ward, the scrimmage stats included 17 pass attempts and ultimately more touchdowns (four) than incompletions (three). It was an individual performance from Ward that Washington State head coach Jake Dickert later described to local reporters as “fantastic.” 

While Ward often seems to be a forgotten man during discussions about the Pac-12’s deep and talented 2023 quarterback group, expect that to change in the near future based on the feedback I’ve been getting on Ward since the spring and now coming out of the weekend following that scrimmage.

“I told him today, he’s going to take us to places he didn’t even think we could,” Dickert told local reporters following the scrimmage. “We’re going to go as he goes. I’m all in. He’s got the keys to the car and just be himself.”

To people at programs such as Oregon, Ward was already far from a secret.

Although he was up-and-down during his first season at Washington State last year, there were flashes from the former Incarnate Word transfer and 2022 FCS All-American that have contributed to NFL scouts already having Ward with draftable grades as a prospect for next year’s NFL draft.

The Cougars’ 44-41 loss to Oregon was one of four games last season that the 6-foot-2, 223-pound Ward finished with at least 320 passing yards. During that particular matchup, he was 37 of 48 for 375 yards with three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing).

Although his overall 2022 numbers — 3,231 passing yards, 23 touchdown passes, five rushing TDs and nine interceptions — were far from terrible, the Cougars’ staff has seen significant improvement from Ward since the end of last season under new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ben Arbuckle. The 27-year old Arbuckle was hired this offseason after leading an offense at Western Kentucky that ranked seventh nationally in total offense last year.

“Buck and Cam have hit it off,” a source told On3. “It’s been great to see his growth and the player he’s turned into.”

One of the touchdown passes Saturday was a 27-yard strike over the middle.

On the second, Ward rolled left to evade pressure, then eventually threw back 25 yards across his body to an open receiver in the middle of the field for another score.

One of the other TD passes featured Ward rolling to his right before hitting a Washington State wide receiver in stride for a 35-yard score in tight coverage.

“He’s got a unique skill set,” a Pac-12 source told On3 earlier this year. “His mobility in and out of the pocket is (special). The dude evades sacks. … He’s like Houdini back there. I just think the ability of him to keep a lot of plays alive when they should be dead is something that I think is unique about him that only maybe a few guys in college football really have. And he has sneaky arm talent, too. When people see him throw, they may not sit there and think, oh, he has a big arm, but he has sneaky arm talent. He has the quickest release I’ve ever seen. And he’s actually very, very accurate short to intermediate.”

The emergence of Ward would make that dynamic crop of Pac-12 QB group even deeper.

People already know about players like USC’s Caleb Williams, Oregon’s Bo Nix, Washington’s Michael Penix and Utah’s Cam Rising. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Oregon State’s DJ Uiagelelei and even Arizona’s Jayden de Laura are known names, too. There’s also been plenty of attention paid to freshmen and potential starters like UCLA’s Dante Moore and Arizona State’s Jaden Rashada.

But don’t be surprised, based on this continued buzz coming out of Pullman, if Ward ends up making a good amount of noise this year as well. A Week 2 matchup against Luke Fickell and No. 19 Wisconsin will be a big early-season test and opportunity for him and the Cougars.

“Mentally, I’m in a good spot right now,” Ward told local reporters after the scrimmage Saturday. “I really just try to live my life day by day. … But we’ll just game-plan for (the season-opener against) Colorado State. That’s the main thing on my mind right now.”