In the transfer portal era of college football, the recruiting process has become more accelerated than ever. Coaches may only have a few days to learn about prospects who have entered the portal and often have to make a decision about offering a scholarship before fully getting to know the player. Such was the case […]
In the transfer portal era of college football, the recruiting process has become more accelerated than ever.
Coaches may only have a few days to learn about prospects who have entered the portal and often have to make a decision about offering a scholarship before fully getting to know the player.
Such was the case for Kentucky and its new quarterback, Zach Calzada, who will make his debut with the Wildcats on Saturday against Toledo in the season opener at Kroger Field.
After spending the spring and summer with Calzada, UK offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan says he knows the Cats made a good decision to pursue the grad senior quarterback from Incarnate Word.
“There’s always the human element to it,” Hamdan said after Tuesday’s practice when asked what he’s learned about Calzada that maybe he didn’t know from just scouting him on film. “I think he’s got a contagious personality. You never know. When we go through this process, particularly in the transfer portal, it’s three, four days, and you’re making a critical decision on somebody.
“I just think there’s a lot of people rooting for him. He’s a guy that’s willing to put in the work. He’s a guy that wants to be around everybody, that wants to bring people together. I think we’re fortunate in that regard, from a leadership standpoint, he’s got a lot of those qualities.”
Perhaps that was the most important piece of the puzzle for the UK staff. After all, Calzada, who will turn 25 in November, has put a lot of football on tape. This will mark his seventh season at the college level, having spent 2019-21 at Texas A&M, 2022 at Auburn, and 2023-24 with Incarnate Word at the FCS level.
Calzada has 8,707 career passing yards and 73 touchdowns to his credit and one massive resume-building performance in 2021 when he threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns in leading Texas A&M to a 41-38 win over No. 1 ranked Alabama.
That was a heroic effort early in his career, but he has a different way of approaching the game going into his debut with UK.
“I like to go by the saying I’ve got to be Clark Kent until it’s time to become Superman,” Calzada said. “That might be in Game 1, and it might not be. Just playing within the system and doing whatever the team needs me to do.”
He’s made a concerted effort to show his new teammates that he’s a dependable and selfless player playing the most high-profile position on the field.
“That I’m somebody they can rely on,” Calzada said. “I feel like that’s what everybody wants in a teammate and a leader, somebody they can rely on, on and off the field.”
Calzada has already made a big impression on at least one of his teammates.
“He’s like a sponge,” said sophomore receiver Hardley Gilmore IV. “Even though he’s been around several years, he’s still trying to learn, and even though I’m a young player, he still hears what I have to say, so there’s really good communication. He loves getting feedback from his receivers.”
Gilmore’s favorite thing about the strong-armed Calzada?
“He gives you a chance, and it’s up to us to go get the ball,” he said. “He throws a real good ball.”
Category: General Sports
