ESPN's Jeremy Fowler: Titans 'impressed' with Cam Ward ahead of QB1 battle with Will Levis

Cam Ward’s NFL dream came true last month, as the Tennessee Titans picked him with the first overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Now, the question becomes whether he’ll be a Day 1 starter for the franchise or if he’ll have to wait his turn with the AFC South team.

The incumbent starter is Will Levis, who was a second round pick not too long ago by the Titans. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler provided the latest on their battle and how Ward has fared thus far in the NFL. It’s evident the former Miami star has the inside track to starting Week 1 for Tennessee.

“The Titans’ coaches have been really impressed with his work ethic so far,” Fowler stated, regarding the impression Ward has made in Tennessee over the past month. “They knew he was a hard worker coming in. I was told they’ve had to kick him out of the office at times, literally kick him out, because he’ll just hang out in the coach’s office, wanting to get to know the offense and get to know them and what they’re running and the whole thing. So, from a leadership component, he’s been really good.

“Even though they’ve been splitting reps, I’m told that will change. They’ll gradually give him more and more first-team reps. He’ll have every chance to be the starter for this team. They could keep Will Levis around too. I don’t sense a lot of trade buzz right now. He’s sort of entrenched as the backup, and they’ll go from there.”

All told, it’s easy to see how Ward has taken to the next level like a fish to water. He emerged as the consensus top overall pick in the draft after a stellar season with the Hurricanes, previously playing at both Washington State and Incarnate Word, as well.

The Titans’ rookie signal-caller finished his single season at Miami having been responsible for 43 touchdowns (39 passing) to go with 4,313 passing yards while finishing with the No. 1 QBR (88.8) in the country. In the 12 games that he played all four quarters, Ward threw for 300 yards or more in 10 of those matchups.

Moreover, during his prior stops along his college football journey before playing for Mario Cristobal in Coral Gables, Ward threw for nearly 7,000 yards and scored 61 touchdowns during his first two seasons with Incarnate Word at the FCS level. He would then become a more popular name in the sport, transferring to Washington State ahead of the 2022 college football season.

He’d ultimately spent two seasons with the Cougars. During his last season at Washington State, Ward completed 66.6 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,735 yards, with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Suffice to say, Cam Ward doesn’t take long to get used to his surroundings, and he seems more prepared than anyone to take on the challenge of playing in the NFL. A special rookie season could be on the way for the Titans quarterback.

— On3’s Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this article.