Kentucky has found another quarterback from the transfer portal. This time it’s a player who has already made a couple of stops in the SEC. Zach Calzada will compete in his seventh and final college football season at Kentucky.
You may remember the name from his time at Texas A&M, but Calzada most recently was named Southland Conference Player of the Year. This fall 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 experienced quarterback guided Incarnate Word, the same school that produced Cam Ward, to its first-ever undefeated record in Southland Conference play. 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 at Incarnate Word, Calzada became a household name in the state of Texas thanks to his heroics in College Station. As a redshirt freshman, he was forced into action when Haynes King suffered a broken leg against Colorado. Calzada entered the game and threw the game-winning, go-ahead touchdown.
Later in the season, Calzada helped Jimbo Fisher secure the biggest win of his career. Hosting No. 1 Alabama, Calzada completed 21-31 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns. He was injured on his third and final score, which tied the game. He returned to the field with two minutes to go and drove the ball down to the 11-yard line to set up the game-winning field goal.
Calzada transferred to Auburn for Bryan Harsin’s second and final season. The quarterback did not play before undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. That’s when Calzada hit the portal again, this time dropping down to the FCS ranks.
Mark Stoops needed to add experience to a quarterback room that featured only three freshmen. The Kentucky head coach believes Cutter Boley is the future of the offense. Calzada has more than enough college football experience and can buy some time for Kentucky’s talented young passer. A gutsy football player with a high floor, his ability to make spectacular plays while under duress is exactly what this offense needs.
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