History of Miami QBs in the NFL: How Cam Ward compares to Jim Kelly, Vinny Testaverde and more from ‘The U’

Daniel Mader

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History of Miami QBs in the NFL: How Cam Ward compares to Jim Kelly, Vinny Testaverde and more from ‘The U’ image

Miami owns one of the most storied football programs in the country.

With five claimed national titles (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001), two Heisman Trophy winners, and plenty of big-name players and coaches, the Hurricanes have done a whole lot of winning over the years. 

While Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp, and Ed Reed are among the most legendary players to pass through Miami's program, naturally, a lot of the team's success has come from standout quarterback play. There have been 10 Hurricanes passers previously drafted to the NFL — and in 2025, Cam Ward is set to join that exclusive list.

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Here's what to know about the history of Miami quarterbacks in the NFL, plus how Ward's collegiate career stacks up to some of the big names.

Miami quarterbacks in the NFL

Dating back to the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, there have been 10 Miami quarterbacks drafted to the NFL — including some rare, confusing draft scenarios. One passer was drafted twice, and two quarterbacks were taken in the supplemental draft, which is primarily for players who couldn't enter the traditional draft due to eligibility issues or other circumstances.

Craig Erickson, the starting quarterback on Miami's 1989 championship team, was initially drafted by the Eagles in the 1991 NFL Draft. He didn't sign with the team, though, meaning he could then be drafted by the Buccaneers in 1992.

Another player on the list, Steve Walsh, was taken in the 1989 supplemental NFL Draft, while Bernie Kosar was the subject of supplemental draft controversy in 1984.

After a standout career at Miami, Kosar announced he would be arranging an expedited academic plan in order to graduate on time and fulfill the NFL's eligibility requirements for the 1985 traditional draft. 

In April 1985, the Vikings then traded up in the traditional draft seeking to land Kosar, while the Browns quietly traded up in the supplemental draft in hopes that they could also take Kosar, who wanted to play for Cleveland. Minnesota was then informed Kosar didn't meet the Apr. 15 eligibility documents deadline, causing league-wide controversy. Kosar announced he would be skipping the traditional draft, and he was later selected by Cleveland in the 1985 supplemental draft. The Oilers threatened to sue the NFL over Kosar not being in the traditional draft but later dropped the case.

Other Miami quarterbacks to be drafted to the NFL include Jim Kelly and Vinny Testaverde, two of the most well-known Hurricanes passers in history. 

Here's the full list of Miami quarterbacks to be selected in the NFL Draft since 1970:

YearNameRound (Pick)NFL RecordNFL career passing stats
1972Kelly Cochrane17 (421)N/AN/A
1983Jim Kelly1 (14)101-5935,467 yards, 237 TDs, 175 INTs
1985*Bernie Kosar*1*53-54-123,301 yards, 124 TDs, 87 INTs
1987Vinny Testaverde1 (1)90-123-146,233 yards, 275 TDs, 267 INTs
1989*Steve Walsh*1*20-187,875 yards, 40 TDs, 50 INTs
1991, 1992Craig Erickson5 (131) in 1991, 4 (86) in 199214-217,625 yards, 41 TDs, 38 INTs
1993Gino Torretta7 (192)0-041 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
1999Scott Covington7 (245)1-030 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
2003Ken Dorsey7 (241)2-112,082 yards, 8 TDs, 18 INTs
2017Brad Kaaya6 (215)N/AN/A

*Selected in the supplemental draft

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How Cam Ward compares to Miami QBs in NFL

Ward, expected to be the No. 1 overall selection by the Titans in the 2025 NFL Draft, would become the third Miami quarterback to be picked in the first round of the traditional draft, joining Kelly and Testaverde. If Ward goes first overall, he'd join just Testeverde as Hurricanes quarterbacks to go No. 1.

While Ward only played one season at Miami, transferring from Washington State in 2024, he undoubtedly ranks among the best passers to play for the Hurricanes. He broke Kosar's single-season Miami passing record in 2024, totaling 4,313 yards, and he shattered Walsh's single-season Hurricanes record for passing touchdowns with 39.

Ward couldn't quite join the likes of passers like Erickson, Walsh, and Torretta, among others, to win a national championship with the Hurricanes, but he did earn some prestigious honors for his dominant 2024 season. He joined Testaverde (1986) and Torretta (1992) as Miami quarterbacks to win the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, and he also became the eighth different Hurricane to be named a Heisman Trophy finalist, finishing fourth in the race. Testaverde and Torretta are the only Miami players to win the award.

It's been over three decades since a Miami quarterback was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. When Ward's name is called, likely as the No. 1 pick, he'll be making some Hurricanes history.

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Daniel Mader

Daniel Mader joined Sporting News as an editorial intern in 2024 following his graduation from Penn State University. Previously, he covered Penn State, high school and local sports beats for NBC Sports, the Centre Daily Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Daily Collegian and LancasterOnline. He grew up in Lancaster, Penn., with a love for baseball that’ll never fade, but could also talk basketball or football for days.