Ward went at Macedonia, Ohio’s Nordonia High School.[1] He was a wide receiver and cornerback for the Knights football team. He ran track and played basketball as well. He set a personal record in the 100 metres as a senior, finishing first in 10.49 seconds at the Division 1 Region 1 finals. At the state championships, he finished third in the 200 metres, which is his personal best time of 21.38 seconds. He pledged to play college football at Ohio State University.[2]

Under head coach Urban Meyer, Ward attended and participated in collegiate football at Ohio State.[3] In his 12 games as a true freshman in 2015 at Ohio State, Ward recorded seven tackles.[4][5] In 2016, he participated in all 13 games as a sophomore and recorded 23 tackles. In 2017, Ward started as a junior.[6][7] Ward declined to play in the 2017 Cotton Bowl in favour of entering the 2018 NFL Draft.

Ward announced on December 29, 2017, via his Twitter account, that he would forgo his senior year and declare for the 2018 NFL Draft. Ward chose not to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic as well.[9] While in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine, Ward participated in most of the drills except the short shuttle and three-cone drill. Scouts were thrilled by his overall performance, which cemented his status as the best cornerback prospect.