Proof of NIL concept for Dan Radakovich came in the third quarter Saturday at The Swamp. The Miami athletic director watched Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward evade a Florida lineman and sling his third touchdown of the day to receiver Jacolby George.
Radakovich, who spent 10 years at Clemson, had seen the play before.
“Trevor Lawrence, freshman year,” Radakovich told CBS Sports. “Exact same throw. Turned his hips and threw a rope. Trevor did the same thing against Georgia Tech. It was eerie just how similar they were — frozen ropes to the receiver.”
Not to compare Ward to a No. 1 overall draft pick just yet, but the hyperbole was flying around Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Saturday faster than Florida fans heading for the exits. Miami certainly looks like it has something special after an historic opening-day win over the Gators.
“I’m a gunslinger,” Ward told reporters last week. “That’s just what I do.”
If you noticed a bit of the old Miami swagger creeping into the Saturday’s proceedings, you’re starting to get it. It’s not just the quarterback who threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns. It’s the coach (Mario Cristobal) and the program. Those who invested in Saturday’s are getting return on investment in this NIL era.
“It’s been a three-year process of Mario’s sweat and blood and everything else to try to rebuild this roster,” said Zach Burr, co-founder of Canes Connection, Miami’s school-affiliated collective. “For us to be able to play a small part in helping him to do that days like [Saturday] validate all the hard work.”
Burr, 39, is a former political fundraiser who saw an opening with NIL in July 2021. Six months later, Cristobal was hired. It might have taken until Saturday for all of it to gel.
“When you bring in someone like…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/miami-embraced-nil-chaos-and-now-hurricanes-are-surging-back-as-prized-acquisition-cam-ward-leads-charge/
Author : Dennis Dodd
Publish date : 2024-09-02 13:36:40
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