Zach Calzada is Different: Ja'Mori Maclin Blown Away by Kentucky QB

The Kentucky Spring Showcase let football fans from around BBN see the Wildcats in action at Kroger Field. Zach Calzada led 3-4 drives with the first-team offense, but that’s just a small snippet of what his wide receivers have learned from the quarterback since he arrived on campus in January.

Ja’Mori Maclin is one of the few returners in the Kentucky wide receiver room. The old vet has played two seasons at Missouri, North Texas, and now Kentucky. The new quarterback is unlike any other player he’s caught passes from.

“He’s old like me. The way he thinks is so differently from what I’ve experienced from other quarterbacks,” said Maclin.

Calzada’s experience is evident in so many ways. He sees and processes opposing defenses different than a first-year starter.

“He’s got old-head thinking. It’s all over the place sometimes. He’s been in the game for a while. Other than what I’ve experienced from other quarterbacks, the way he thinks, it blows my mind the way he thinks. I’m trying to learn from him.”

Calzada has a Big Arm

Intangibles can only get you so far in the game of football. To be an SEC quarterback, you need to have arm talent. The seventh-year quarterback’s got that covered.

“Calzada has a strong arm. That’s what I say to people when they ask about him. He has a strong arm, can flick it 20 yards effortlessly. That’s what I’ve seen from the offseason into the spring,” said safety Ty Bryant.

Maclin echoed that sentiment. “I’ve always told people he’s the best-throwing quarterback I’ve been around. He can throw the ball very well. He knows where to put the ball, which is the best thing. He will throw you open, if that makes sense. If I’m covered and the DB is on me, he knows where to throw the ball to put me in position to catch the ball.”

He has the tools to succeed, but that doesn’t mean the Kentucky passing game is firing on all cylinders. There are growing pains as the wide receivers learn how to work with Calzada.

“He throws the ball very well,” Maclin said. “Just getting on the same page, getting the chemistry, there’s been some progress. There’s also been frustrating moments. It’s football. That happens. He’s been frustrated with me. I’ve been frustrated with him. But it’s been a good frustration where we can talk to each other and get on the same page.”

That’s the name of the game for the Kentucky passing offense this offseason. For it to take flight, they must be on the same page when the season kicks off on Aug. 30.

“Building chemistry with the quarterbacks, for us as receivers, that’s the most important thing over the next four months,” said Maclin.

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