This just in: former Auburn quarterback Zach Calzada has officially been named as the starting quarterback for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Now, just labeling him as an Auburn Tiger is slightly convoluted, especially since he never took an in-game snap for the team.
Calzada started his collegiate career with the Texas A&M Aggies in 2019 (yes, six years ago), before transferring to Auburn in 2022, where he stayed for just one season, riding the bench behind T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford.
Then, Calzada transferred to the University of Incarnate Word in 2023, where he became the starting QB and earned over 3,700 passing yards for 35 touchdowns during the 2024 season.
Now, the long-forgotten Aggie, turned Tiger, and the eventual Cardinal has once again become the starting quarterback... and it's for yet another SEC football program.
Source: Kentucky is naming veteran transfer Zach Calzada the starting quarterback, and he’ll make his debut for the Wildcats against Toledo on Aug. 30. Calzada has started 32 games in his career, which has stops at Texas A&M, Auburn and Incarnate Word. pic.twitter.com/oPNjCUdHRZ
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 25, 2025
Calzada transferred to Kentucky after his impressive season with the UIW Cardinals, which allowed him to earn back a lot of respect that he had lost from Power Conference programs after his fairly disappointing career with the Aggies.
After his bare-bones tenure in Auburn, Calzada had to drop to the FCS level to find a program that would name him QB1.
However, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has full faith that Calzada can play up to his once three-star status as a high school prospect (which eventually turned into a three-star rating as a transfer).
Calzada and the Wildcats are scheduled to kick off their 2025 season with a home game against the Toledo Rockets, which is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 30, at 12:45 p.m. ET. The game will be aired on the ACC Network and will be the veteran quarterback's first Power Conference matchup since the 2021 regular season.