Greg Ward Jr.

With all due respect to Louisville's dynamic Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson, Ward was the most productive dual-threat quarterback in the country in 2016. A former starting receiver and punt returner for the Cougars, Ward finished his third season as Houston's starting quarterback as the only player nationally to average over 300 yards passing (302.5) and over 45 yards rushing (47.1) per game. The Davey O'Brien Award semi-finalist accomplished this while guiding the Cougars to a 9-4 record overall, with wins over Baker Mayfield and the then-No. 3 ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the season opener as well as Jackson and the Cardinals November 17. Ward wasn't bad the day before the calendar turned to 2016, as well, racking up 305 total yards and three touchdowns to help stun Florida State 38-24 in the Peach Bowl to cap the 2015 season. Eye-popping numbers from Ward, of course, is nothing new. He completed at least 67% of his passes each of his three seasons as a starter, throwing for 8,705 yards and 52 touchdowns against 26 interceptions over his career and was even more dynamic as a runner, accounting for another 2,375 yards and 39 scores on the ground. One of the top players in Houston history, Ward finished second with 27 victories as a starting quarterback and with a winning percentage of .818 (27-5). The 2015 Earl Campbell Award winner, presented annually to the top player from the state of Texas, finished his Houston career third behind only future NFL signal-callers Case Keenum and Kevin Kolb with 11,080 yards of total offense over his career. Given the success of smaller dual-threat passers like Russell Wilson and Tyrod Taylor, teams will certainly give Ward every opportunity to prove he can play quarterback in the NFL. Given his dynamic athleticism and prior experience as a receiver, he should be able to handle the switch back to pass-catcher, if necessary. STRENGTHS: Best known for his dual-threat capabilities but is a strong armed and often very accurate quarterback from within the pocket. Gets the ball out quickly with a compact, sling-shot delivery and possesses plenty of arm strength, whipping the ball to all areas of the field, completing NFL-caliber throws to the sidelines, down the seam and deep. Good field vision and awareness of his receivers, keeping his eyes downfield to take advantage of pass-catchers breaking free late after he improvises - and Ward is arguably the most dangerous when the play breaks down. With terrific balance, lateral agility and burst, stopping Ward in the open field is like trying to tackle smoke. Despite his height, Ward shows terrific spatial awareness and vision to set up blocks and elude defenders, even in tight quarters. Not just fast for a quarterback but fast by even receiver standards, Ward is a threat to gain chunk yardage and perhaps even go the distance each time he slips into the secondary, breaking free for gains of 25+ yards at least 13 times over his career. Possesses the balance, agility and speed necessary for gaining separation as a route-runner. Showed reliable hands as a receiver and punt returner early in his career, extending his hands outside of his frame and plucking the ball easily. WEAKNESSES: Comes with obvious size limitations and is made even shorter as a passer due to a low release point, with the ball coming out closer to shoulder level rather than the over-the-top delivery which has helped other short quarterbacks (like Wilson, Taylor and Drew Brees) overcome their lack of height. Plays in a QB-friendly offense, taking snaps from shotgun virtually every time and rarely turning his back to the defense. Very elusive but it doesn't take much to knock him down, with defenders too often able to drag him to the turf with only one arm. While his competitiveness is admirable, Ward will overestimate his own escapability and give up more yardage attempting to run himself out of trouble, taking some ugly sacks. He is capable of making the occasional splashy deep pass but throws with too low of a trajectory, at times, giving receivers little opportunity to track the ball. IN OUR VIEW: With spread offenses, speed rushers and versatile defensive backs all of the rage in today's NFL, quarterbacks who can succeed amidst the chaos of the broken play are getting longer and longer looks from scouts. Ward excels in this role - but to duplicate his success at quarterback in the NFL, he'll need an offensive coordinator willing to cater the offense to these strengths and perhaps help him raise his release point. COMPARES TO: Antwaan Randle El, Pittsburgh Steelers (retired): The simple reality is that there will only be a couple of NFL teams willing to consider Ward (or any player of his size) at quarterback. Every NFL team, however, will appreciate Ward's elusiveness and speed. Accurate, agile, instinctive and the perfect trick play threat, it is hard not to recall Randle El and his , among the most successful QB converts in modern league history.

Three-star recruit by ESPN, Rivals, Scout and 247Sports

No. 3 quarterback in the state of Texas by Dave Campbell

No. 60 player in the state of Texas by Rivals

named to Dave Campbell’s Second Team All-Texas team

named to the 2013 Old Coach Class 4A All-State first team

named Associated Press Class 4A Honorable Mention All-State

Dave Campbell’s 4A Region II Player of the Year

led Texas’ Class 4A with 4,202 passing yards and 39 touchdowns against five interceptions as a senior

also added 861 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 170 carries

as a junior threw for 3,596 yards and 32 touchdowns against five interceptions while rushing 207 times for 1,212 yards and 18 touchdowns

playing as a wide receiver as a sophomore, pulled in 53 receptions for 667 yards and eight touchdowns.

Majoring in Kinesiology.

2016

passing
ATT	YPA	PCT	YDS	INT	TD	COMPLETIONS
469.0	7.6	0.68	3557.0	13.0	22.0	319.0

rushing
YPC	TD	YDS	CAR	LONG
2.6	10.0	518.0	197.0	33.0

receiving
REC	YPR	TD	LONG	YDS
0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	-6.0

fumbles
REC	LOST	FUM
0.0	4.0	6.0

defensive
TFL	QB HUR	TOT	TD	PD	SACKS	SOLO
0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0

2015

passing
ATT	YPA	PCT	YDS	INT	TD	COMPLETIONS
345.0	8.2	0.672	2828.0	6.0	17.0	232.0

rushing
YPC	TD	YDS	CAR	LONG
5.6	21.0	1108.0	198.0	47.0