Auburn football transfer QB Zach Calzada won’t be making his Tigers debut this Saturday, next, or any during the 2022 college football season. Per On3’s Justin Hokanson, the former Texas A&M Aggie will be getting season-ending surgery:
BREAKING
— Justin Hokanson (@_JHokanson) September 22, 2022
Per sources, Auburn QB Zach Calzada will schedule surgery on non-throwing shoulder, apply for medical redshirt, miss remainder of the season, and is unlikely to dress on Saturday
Story 🔗 https://t.co/vu3oSHhRm6 pic.twitter.com/CM6dKprVt3
Calzada’s injury takes out who many thought would be the starting signal-caller in before fall camp and puts the ball in Robby Ashford’s hands on Saturday, since T.J. Finley is out with his own shoulder ailment. Holden Geriner could get reps under center against Missouri due to the depleted depth chart.
There is irony and sadness, with a pinch of JABA (Just Auburn Being Auburn), when it comes to the Calzada situation. One popular Auburn Twitter account pointed out just how cruel the turn of events have been since Auburn football had their first encounter with Calzada in 2021:
Let’s get this straight.
— Kyle (@AllAubarn) September 22, 2022
Auburn injures opposing QB. QB comes back in the game and beats us.
Injured QB transfers to Auburn. Auburn assumes he will be healthy and win the starting spot.
QB is still injured and TJ starts instead. QB redshirts and doesn’t play.
Auburn.
Auburn football head coach Bryan Harsin berated a reporter asking about the Zach Calzada situation
Just a few days ago, Auburn football head coach Bryan Harsin got snarky with a reporter who was simply asking about Calzada’s injury status — since he did go from probable QB1 to unplayable in the span of a month:
Auburn HC Bryan Harsin asked by @jzenor if QB Zach Calzada is 100% in terms of health right now
— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) September 19, 2022
Harsin: "You know something I don't?"
JZ: "No."
JH: "He's competed like everybody else. Those guys, every single week get those opportunities. And we try to play the best players."
Now we know Calzada was never truly an option. Harsin was smart to keep that information under wraps, and it’s understandable that he hasn’t been treated well, but lashing out at a reporter after the worst loss of his tenure as head coach is objectively a bad look.