Zach Calzada is one of the weirdest stories in college football. The seven-year quarterback deserves high praise for how he worked with Cutter Boley during the freshman’s first start at Kentucky!
It was a testament to his character.
Some college football signal-callers might quit on their team after they got benched or keep a distance from the guy who replaced them. That was not the case in Lexington. Rather, the opposite.
How did Zach Calzada get here?
Lets rewind for those who are not familiar with the 24-year-old quarterback. Calzada ranked as a three-star prospect in the recruiting Class of 2019 out of Lanier High School in Buford, Georgia.
He committed to Texas A&M over 43 other offers from schools all over the country on various levels of competition. His time in College Station was up and down.
Calzada played sparingly in three games during garbage time as a freshman. He did not play at all in 2020.
Haynes King ultimately beat him out for the starting job in 2021 but he was thrust into the lineup after an early injury. Calzada completed only 56.3% of his passes for 2,185 yards and 17 touchdowns with nine interceptions in 10 games as the starter. The Aggies went 6-4.
King, Max Johnson and incoming five-star freshman Conner Weigman were in line to compete for the starting job in 2022 so Calzada hit the transfer portal. He landed at Auburn but he did not play at all.
That led him to Incarnate Word. Zach Calzada transferred down to the FCS level and led the Cardinals to six wins in eight games as the starter in 2023.
His 2024 season was even better. Calzada completed 66% of his passes for 3,744 yards and 35 touchdowns with nine interceptions.
Incarnate Word reached the FCS quarterfinal at 11-3.
He got benched at Kentucky.
Zach Calzada was actually going to enter the NFL Draft pool after six years of college football but Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops called him up to ask if he wanted to transfer back up to the FBS. I am sure NIL played a role in his decision to play for the Wildcats.
However, Calzada did not play well against Toledo or Ole Miss.
- vs. Toledo: 10-of-23, 85 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception
- vs. Ole Miss: 15-of-30, 149 yards, zero touchdowns
Part of the blame is on the coaching staff. Part of the blame is on the quarterback.
Zach Calzada is all of us right now. pic.twitter.com/F5aNG9nTWl
— Wildcat Blue Nation (@WildcatBlueNatn) September 6, 2025
Regardless of who was at fault for the early-season struggles, Kentucky decided to make a change. Zach Calzada was benched in favor of redshirt freshman Cutter Boley, a former four-star recruit.
Boley finished 12-of-21 for 240 yards with two touchdowns in a blowout win over Eastern Michigan. Stoops said he was encouraged by the performance but would not commit to a starter moving forward.
Regardless of how things shake out, Calzada showed great leadership in the backup role.
He spent most of the night with Boley on the bench. They worked together.
Zach Calzada could’ve sat on the other end of the bench. Nobody would’ve thought anything of it.
For him to be right there next to his much younger teammate speaks wonders about who he is. (Even if Wildcats fans might prefer him not to try and help!)
The post Kentucky’s 7th-Year Senior Quarterback Showed His True Character With Admirable Actions After Benching appeared first on BroBible.
Kentucky’s 7th-Year Senior Quarterback Showed His True Character With Admirable Actions After Benching
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