Zach Calzada Brings Elite Arm Strength to Kentucky

It feels like Zach Calzada will be the starting quarterback for the Kentucky Wildcats in 2025, even if Mark Stoops isn’t quite willing to say it explicitly.

“I think the fact that we had a local young quarterback on campus that we certainly feel is the future. When that time is, I’m not sure. Whether it’s next week, two weeks, three weeks, next season, next year, I’m not sure,” Stoops said in the Main Media room at SEC Media Days.

“With Zach, it definitely played a factor. He won big games in the SEC. Has a ton of experience under his belt. Has a chip on his shoulder. Wants to come back and prove that. I’m excited about Zach.”

It’s clear there is a strong belief in Cutter Boley. In the meantime, Kentucky trusts Zach Calzada’s experience. When you ask anybody about Calzada, that’s exactly what they mention, and not much more about the 25-year-old entering his seventh season of college football.

What they fail to mention is that the old guy has a cannon.

KSR’s Adam Luckett was able to peel back a layer in that topic of conversation by asking Josh Kattus who throws a harder football, Calzada or Will Levis, the quarterback when Kattus arrived on campus in 2022.

“That is the closest — I don’t even know,” said Kattus. “Levis effortlessly; you’d be warming up with him, he’d just kind of nonchalantly zoom it right at your face. Zach does the same thing. Willie Rodriguez came off the field yesterday and a ball went by his head, and he said, ‘I just heard it whistle right by my head. It made a sound.’ I can’t give you an answer, but they both throw similar passes.”

Will Levis’ rocket arm made headlines at the NFL Draft Combine. That’s exactly how Kattus described Calzada.

“He has an NFL arm. When he wants to, he throws rockets, but you got to catch ’em. I think he’s very friendly to the tight end, so I’m excited about that this season,” said the tight end.

Finding the right touch may be a problem at times for Calzada, but you’re never going to have to worry about arm strength.

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