Ward Receives 2024 Manning Award
Release courtesy Allstate Sugar Bowl; photo by Susan Poag
NEW ORLEANS – Cameron Ward, 2024’s national leader in touchdown passes as well as the NCAA Division I record-holder for career touchdown passes, was presented with the 2024 Manning Award by Archie Manning at a Monday evening ceremony at the Caesars Superdome. The Manning Award, now in its 21st year, was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl to honor the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning.
“I’m blessed to receive this award, especially because of the Mannings and the history that they have, just football knowledge-wise,” Ward said. “This is a team award. It’s just got my name on it.”
“Cam is a great Manning Award winner,” Archie Manning said. “He’s played a lot of college football and had a great career, outstanding senior year. He’s battle-tested. He’s ready for whatever happens (in the NFL).”
“We had quite a competition for the Manning Award this season,” Manning said when Ward was announced as the winner in January. “There were so many outstanding quarterbacks that deserved recognition for their accomplishments, but the overall performance of Cam Ward lifted him to the top with our voters. He led the nation in touchdowns and set the NCAA record for career touchdown passes. Not only that, he led Miami to its first 10-win season since 2017. Congratulations to Cam on being the winner of the 2024 Manning Award.”
In addition to leading the Hurricanes to a 10-win season, Ward was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and the winner of the ACC Player of the Year honor, a first for a Miami player. He completed 305-of-454 passes for 4,313 yards (second in the nation) and 39 touchdowns (No. 1 in the country) with just seven interceptions. His Quarterback Rating (QBR) of 88.0 was also tops in the nation. The native of West Columbia, Texas, was a consensus All-American earning recognition from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), the Associated Press, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), The Sporting News, and the Walter Camp Foundation.
“I think it’s going to help me in a tremendous way,” Ward said of the honor in January. “If you look at the past winners, specifically last year and Jayden Daniels and the rookie season that he’s had, it’s helped him a lot. And just being able to connect with the Mannings at all times — they’re only a phone call away from me — I just think this award is going to help me in the long run.”
Ward’s 39 touchdown passes shattered the Miami record for touchdown passes in a single season, surpassing Steve Walsh’s previous UM standard of 29, set in 1988. His 4,313 passing yards and 305 completions broke the school records set by Bernie Kosar in 1984 (262 completions, 3,642 yards). He also posted the best single-season completion percentage (67.2), breaking the mark set by Tyler Van Dyke in 2023 (65.8).
The 6-2, 223-pounder transferred to Miami this past offseason after two outstanding seasons at Washington State. He finished his time at Wazzu with 6,963 passing yards and 48 passing touchdowns compared to 16 interceptions, and also added 13 rushing touchdowns in two years with WSU. Ward began his collegiate career at Incarnate Word, an FCS program in San Antonio, throwing for 6,908 yards and 71 touchdowns in just 19 games (the 2020 season was shortened to six games and played in the spring due to COVID-19).
The senior completed his career with 158 passing touchdowns (39 at Miami, 48 at Washington State, 71 at Incarnate Word), breaking the previous NCAA Division I record of 155, set by Houston’s Case Keenum from 2007-11.
Other finalists for this year’s Manning Award were: Carson Beck (Georgia), Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), Quinn Ewers (Texas), Dillon Gabriel (Oregon), John Mateer (Washington State), Kyle McCord (Syracuse), Garrett Nussmeier (LSU), Kurtis Rourke (Indiana), and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado).
In its first 21 years, the Manning Award has recognized the top names in college football. It has honored quarterbacks from 15 different schools and from four different conferences. The Southeastern Conference (Jayden Daniels, Stetson Bennett, Bryce Young, Joe Burrow, Mac Jones, Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton, JaMarcus Russell and Tim Tebow) leads the way with nine Manning Award honorees, while the Big 12 Conference (Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Vince Young, Colt McCoy and Robert Griffin III) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (Ward, Deshaun Watson twice, Matt Ryan and Jameis Winston) have each had five winners.
Statistically, the Manning Award has seen a wide-range of quarterbacks. Eighteen of the Manning Award men threw for over 3,000 yards in their winning campaign, including 4,000-yard seasons from Bennett, Burrow, Griffin III, Jones, Marcus Mariota, Mayfield, Murray, Ryan, Ward, Watson (twice), Winston and Bryce Young. On the other hand, Daniels, Manziel, Murray, Newton, Watson (in 2015) and Vince Young were all 1,000-yard rushers during their Manning years.
Perhaps most impressive among the statistics of the quarterbacks recognized by the Manning Award is touchdowns scored. Fifteen of the winners accounted for over 40 touchdowns during their successful seasons.
Previous Manning Award winners have also factored prominently in the NFL Draft as they all heard their names called on Draft Day. Seven honorees were selected No. 1 overall (Burrow, Mayfield, Murray, Newton, Russell, Winston, and Bryce Young), while five others went No. 2 or No. 3 (Daniels, Griffin III, Mariota, Ryan and Vince Young).
All the Manning Award winners follow in the footsteps of the Mannings themselves. In college, Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning combined for over 25,000 passing yards and 201 touchdowns while playing in 10 bowl games and earning four bowl MVP awards. Archie was the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft, while both Peyton and Eli were selected No. 1 overall.
In addition to the Manning Award’s yearly honor, each week during the regular season, eight quarterbacks are recognized as Manning Quarterbacks of the Week. Seventy-four quarterbacks were honored during the 2024 season and 570 different quarterbacks from 135 schools have been recognized since 2011.
The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 29 national champions, 110 Hall of Fame players, 55 Hall of Fame coaches and 21 Heisman Trophy winners in its 91-year history. The 92nd Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which will double as a College Football Playoff Quarterfinal, is scheduled to be played on January 1, 2026. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics.
