Kentucky Wildcat quarterback Zach Calzada. Friday, August 1, 2025 Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What's the future for Kentucky Football with Zach Calzada at QB?

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 9:38 AM ET

It's game week in Lexington for the Kentucky Wildcats as Mark Stoops and his team prepare to welcome the Toledo Rockets to Kroger Field.

Over the last few weeks, the quarterback battle between Zach Calzada and Cutter Boley really heated up. Many believed Calzada was going to be the starter, then reports started to roll in that Boley was playing well and was right on his heels.

Despite Boley gaining some ground in the race, it was announced on Monday morning by ESPN's Pete Thamel that Calzada was going to get the start for the Wildcats against Toledo.

Calzada is using his last year of eligibility in college football and will finally get the shot he has been looking for in the SEC. This is Calzada's third stop in the SEC, as he was previously at Texas A&M and Auburn. During his time in College Station, he was the starting quarterback when the Aggies upset the Alabama Crimson Tide with Nick Saban still at the helm.

After the stop at College Station, he went on to play at Auburn, where injuries held him back, and he has been at Incarnate Word ever since.

Calzada has been very open about wanting another shot in the SEC, and he is going to get that this year in Lexington.

Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What does Zach Calzada starting at QB mean for Kentucky?

Some fans wanted to see Boley get the nod at quarterback, knowing that he is a highly ranked player, young with a lot of eligibility left, and a Kentucky native, but the staff went with Calzada.

Coach Stoops is definitely coaching for his life a little bit, and fans should feel confident that if he has been given the nod, that means Stoops is confident he is the better player.

One of the benefits of this is that Kentucky will have a quarterback who has SEC experience and won some big games. This hasn't really been the case with many other Kentucky transfer QBs.

Calzada is the starting quarterback for the Kentucky Wildcats, and he will try to help this team find a bowl game in a season where the schedule is incredibly difficult.

This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: