The rivalry between 2025 No. 1 overall pick Shadur Sanders and new Miami quarterback Cam Ward was rekindled over the weekend.
In a video shared on social media, Ward, the former Washington State quarterback who has had a rivalry with Sanders since their 2023 matchup, slammed the Colorado State quarterback for needing a hydration break during practice.
“When did you start getting water?” Ward asked Sanders in the video. Well Off Media“Since when have you been calling me? You’re just telling me lies.”
Warning: Explicit language
“So you’re not able to stay hydrated?” Sanders responded to Ward.
“You guys are being silly,” Ward said. “You guys can’t stand the heat, that’s the reality. But it’s cool.”
Sanders then said Ward “lives around here,” indirectly encouraging him to train at the high altitudes of Colorado, to which Ward replied that he’d been there and it was just “colder.”
The conversation then turned to on-field performance.
“I don’t think everybody was better today,” Ward said. “I don’t think everybody was better today. I was better.”
A bystander then interjects and appears to yell at Ward, saying, “It’s his fault we’re late here.”
Ward shrugged and said, “It’s gotten better. Maybe it was my fault for being late, but it’s gotten better.”
Sanders responded that things would improve the next day and on Saturday.
Ward was even more scathing about Sanders’ performance.
“We make a comeback and you just loft. [the ball]”Don’t throw it, put it down,” Ward said. “Come on.”
Sanders condemned Ward’s harsh comments.
“I know, I’ve got another year of opportunity to get better,” Sanders said. “Hey, hey, I’m dissing you.”
One X user criticized Ward for being late.“It’s a joke to show up late to training and then try to take the blame,” he said.
Buffaloes wide receiver Caleb Mathis later set the record straight.
“He wasn’t late. We all started from the same place. He had to wait for his car in the parking lot.” Posted by Matisse About X.
While Ward appeared to lash out at Sanders, it may have simply been an attempt at friendly motivation.
The two teams met last year when Ward passed for 288 yards and two touchdowns to lead Washington State to a 56-14 victory over Colorado on Nov. 17.
Though they are rivals, Ward and Sanders have a mutual respect for each other and have worked together to boost their draft standings, posting videos on Sanders’ YouTube channel, “Well Off Media.”
Sanders wants to solidify his status as a No. 1 draft pick, but he’ll need some extra help from the players in front of him.
The offensive line was a big issue for Sanders, as he was sacked four times against Washington State.
Sanders was sacked at least three times in each game last season.
