Quarterback Brock Vandagriff played in 11 games for the Kentucky Wildcats in 2024. He then retired with one year of eligibility remaining despite the fact that Kentucky wanted him back under center in 2025.
He lost the zest for playing quarterback, so Kentucky was forced to find another option this past offseason.
The Wildcats turned to Incarnate Word grad transfer quarterback Zach Calzada to fill the void. They also feel very good about redshirt freshman Cutter Boley heading into the fall. Boley is a former four-star recruit.
Ultimately, though, head coach Mark Stoops revealed that if the season were to start today, Calzada would get the nod as the starter.
“If there was a game tomorrow, Zach would be under center, but this whole depth chart is going to move before — well, not the whole depth chart, but it’s all open to move by the first game,” Stoops said at a news conference on Monday (h/t On3). “We have a lot of practices to go through.”
Going with Calzada makes sense for Kentucky.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound quarterback from Buford, Georgia, is coming off two seasons at Incarnate Word that saw him throw for 6,342 yards and 54 touchdowns (18 interceptions) while also rushing for 10 touchdowns on the ground.
He was a Walter Payton Award finalist, which is an award given to the best player at the FCS level yearly. Calzada also has starting experience in the SEC.
He signed with Texas A&M out of high school and ultimately played in 15 games for the Aggies, starting 10.
Notably, in a win over No. 1 Alabama in 2021, his redshirt sophomore season, Calzada threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns and was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. Calzada transferred to Auburn for the 2022 season but did not play due to injury. He then went to Incarnate Ward.
Calzada has proven to be able to get it done in the SEC, and he took almost all the first-team reps in open viewing sessions during spring ball.
Boley may ultimately have the higher upside, but he lacks the experience, so it makes sense that Stoops and Kentucky want to go with the seventh-year senior a season after going 4-8.
Stoops has to get the Wildcats back on the winning track.
