Zach Calzada Expected to be Kentucky's Week 1 Starting Quarterback

Mark Stoops is opening up game week with a little bit of news for Kentucky football fans. Zach Calzada will be the Wildcats’ starting quarterback for the week one matchup against Toledo, reports Pete Thamel.

Calzada gets the nod ahead of his seventh and final season of college football. He won the job after battling it out with Cutter Boley. Even though it felt inevitable that Calzada would ultimately be “the guy,” Boley made things interesting by showing drastic improvement over the summer.

“We’re constantly evaluating these guys and their progression,” offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan said last week. “Cutter’s doing a lot of really good things. To see where he’s come from last year to this year, with his mental approach to how calm he is out there, he is pushing the needle on this thing in a big way. Obviously, Zach (Calzada) is doing a really good job as well.

“We’re very fortunate to have both these guys here and that’s the reality of the situation.”

In 2024, Calzada was named Southland Conference Player of the Year. He completed 65% of his passes for 3,791 yards (No. 5 in FCS), 35 touchdowns (No. 2 in FCS), and 9 interceptions. He also had 540 non-sack rushing yards and five touchdowns. The Cardinals advanced to the FCS Quarterfinals for the second time in school history, falling 55-14 at South Dakota State. Calzada tallied over 6,000 passing yards and 64 total touchdowns during his two-year run in San Antonio.

Prior to his time in the FCS ranks, Calzada spent one season on the sideline at Auburn with a shoulder injury. He’s most well-known for his heroics at Texas A&M. Tasked to replace the injured Haynes King, he led the Aggies to eight wins, including a victory over No. 1 Alabama. Calzada’s grateful to get another opportunity in the SEC.

“I’ve been itching to get back since I left,” Calzada told KSR shortly after he arrived on campus. “It’s been a long road. There were definitely times where I was wondering if I would ever get back to play in a really high level of football, but it’s always been the goal. My parents preach persistence and faith in the Lord. I’m extremely happy to be back.”

Even though he put up prolific passing numbers in the FCS, Kentucky is not asking him to do it all for the Wildcats’ offense. They will lean into the running game and ask Calzada to serve as a game manager, a role that is typically taboo, but he is embracing.

“When Coach calls shot plays, if it’s not there, don’t force anything, take my checkdowns, hand the ball off on RPOs when I’m supposed to, and just managing the game,” he recently said. “Big plays will come, but if you’re searching for it, you’ll get behind the sticks quickly.”

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