You know that moment when a coach says a lot without really saying much? Yeah, Mark Stoops just had one of those. At SEC Media Days, the Kentucky head coach didn’t declare a starter, but he kind of did. If you’re a Wildcats fan squinting between the lines, there’s one quarterback who seems to have caught the coach’s eye, even though he claims the battle is still on. But this veteran’s resume reads like a tour through the SEC and beyond.
Enter Zach Calzada, the well-traveled, big-armed gunslinger who’s seen just about every shade of college football. The guy’s gone toe-to-toe with Alabama and lived to tell the tale (of destroying them). He’s had stops at Texas A&M, Auburn, and, most recently, carved up FCS defenses at Incarnate Word. Now, he’s in Lexington, and while young Cutter Boley may be the future, it sounds like Stoops might be leaning toward the present.
When asked what drew Kentucky to Calzada, Stoops gave the kind of answer that should have Calzada’s name in the first column of the depth chart. “With Zach, it definitely played a factor that he won big games in the SEC, has a ton of experience, has a chip on his shoulder, and wants to come back and prove that,” he said. “I’m excited about that.” That’s a guy who knows he has a battle-tested QB in his locker room and will be using him.
Q: What attracted the program to QB Zach Calzada:
A, part 1: “The fact that we had a local, young QB on campus we certainly feel is the future, and when that time is, I’m not sure. Next week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, this season, next year, I’m not sure.”
CONTINUED BELOW
— BBN Tonight (@BBNTonight) July 17, 2025
But Stoops didn’t exactly slam the door on Boley either. When talking to Kentucky beat reporters, he said, “You know, Zach Calzada has a ton of experience. He’s played a ton of reps. Cutter Boley is everything that I’ve talked about since he’s been here. I just love everything about him and um you know, his youthful exuberance and the way he plays and his talent, and Zach and him will continue to compete and play this summer, and we’ll see where it goes.” So, while the QB1 is still contested, Stoop’s earlier comments (and basic logic) kind of hint that he may have made the decision.
So what do you want out of your quarterback, Big Blue Nation? An SEC vet who’s been through the fire and still wants to prove the world wrong? Or the kid with all the upside of youth and a cannon for an arm? Either way, Stoops has himself a QB room that’s bursting with both experience and excitement. It’s the kind of problem every coach wishes for.
Mark Stoops gets real about the grind at Kentucky
Mark Stoops didn’t show up to SEC Media Days looking to make headlines, but boy, did he deliver one. It came during a long, reflective answer about his 13-year run in Lexington, when he bluntly summed up life as a Kentucky head coach. “This s–t’s hard.” Just an honest admission from a guy who’s been in the trenches longer than just about anyone in the SEC, not named Saban or Smart.
This was Stoops owning the grind. He reminded everyone that when he arrived, Kentucky football wasn’t exactly SEC royalty. He said, “I’ve stood up here after two 10-win seasons. That’s only happened two times in the history of our school, you know. And I don’t really want to talk about that year. I want to talk about this year, you know. So there’s a fine balance there. So for me, it’s just exciting. But I’m really just excited about the opportunity, really diving into the challenge that lies ahead of us, and embracing that and having fun with it because this s–t is hard.”
Two 10-win seasons, an eight-year run as good as any in the program’s history, and year after year of raising the bar. And yet, even with all that progress, Stoops knows the margin for error is razor thin. “There are a lot of people that can’t do it, and didn’t do it for 12 years and didn’t do it for 13 years, and not at Kentucky.”
Still, despite a disappointing 2024, Stoops isn’t ducking the pressure. In fact, he’s leaning into it. “I want to use last year for us to learn from and to grow from,” he said. “That’s something our program deserves. That’s something our fan base deserves.” Stoops’s only mission is to get back to the standard he built and enjoy the ride, even when it’s a brutal one. Because in Kentucky, it’s never been easy. But under Stoops? It’s been historic.
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