Cam Ward is apparently enjoying his time with the Tennessee Titans so much he wants his friends to come along too.
The No. 1 overall pick in last month’s draft is lobbying for the Titans to offer a contract to wide receiver and his University of Miami teammate Xavier Restrepo, who is signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent.
Like Ward, the 5-10 198-pound wide receiver was a consensus All-American in 2024 after he posted 69 catches for 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns — the latter two stats were tops in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“I was real excited when (the Titans) signed X,” Ward told the Titans website. “He’s somebody who was deserving of it.
Yet, Restrepo’s awful 40-yard-dash time (4.8) left him without a club through the 257 selections at the 2025 NFL Draft. But that doesn’t mean Restrepo’s football days are over, especially with Ward, who Tennessee picked as its franchise QB, pushing for his friend.
“He was one of the best route runners in college football last year, he is first team All-conference, he is All-American, he never lost in man coverage,” Ward said. “He is a back-to-back 1,000-yard receiver, so why wouldn’t you push for him?”
‘A Lot To Prove’
Fans and pundits obsess over combine stats, but those are just metrics charted on one day, when the on-field numbers don’t lie.
Restrepo led the ACC in catches in 2023 and was an all-conference player in 2023 and 2024 — proof that he was not just a product of Ward, since the quarterback only came to Coral Gables in 2024.
“Xavier’s been a really productive college player,” coach Brian Callahan told the Titans website. “Look at all the names of receivers that have played at Miami, and he’s at the top, which is impressive. He might not necessarily be the biggest or the fastest player that’s probably ever come out of Miami, but he’s been incredibly productive and he has found ways to play football the right way.”
Callahan, who advocated for Restrepo while scouting Ward, still stated the receiver needs to improve on his speed.
“I think you see the football player and you see this speed that he plays with when he plays,” Callahan said. “I wouldn’t have thought that would have been the time that he ran. But that’s how you go from a potential draft pick to being an undrafted free agent at the end of the day. He’s got a lot to prove and I’m excited to see him do it.”
Hard Work Ahead
Restrepo may have believers in the Titans facility. But making the team — even with Ward’s blessing and although it was the NFL’s worst last year — is still a tall task for the rookie.
Tennessee bolstered its wide-receiver group in the offseason by bringing in Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett via free agency and drafting two wideouts, Chimere Dike from Florida and Elic Ayomanor of Stanford. With 1,017-yard No. 1 receiver Calvin Ridley established as the Titans’ best, that’ll be a tough group for Restrepo to crack into.
Still, Ward believes the Titans will continue seeing what has made Restrepo successful to this point.
“He’s worked hard every day,” Ward said. “He is one of the most underrated players that was in the draft this year. I think every time he steps on the field, he remembers everything, and he is going to continue to prove it.”
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