The Kentucky Wildcats announced this morning that former Texas A&M football quarterback Zach Calzada would be their starter behind center for the 2025 season. Calzada was thrust into action in the 2021 season after Haynes King went down on the first drive of game two against Colorado, starting the rest of the year for the Aggies— including the historic win over Alabama.
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
The rest of the way for the Aggies was a little bit up and down, however. The offense struggled mightily at times, even though the Mike Elko-coached defense played like one of the best in the nation, with the Ags winning a couple of rock fights along the way— see the 20-3 win over Auburn for a great example here.
Calzada ended up transferring out before the horrendous 2022 campaign, heading to Auburn and then Incarnate Word where he has been ever since. His numbers have been striking at the FCS level, and now he comes to Lexington hoping to recapture that magic for one of the SEC's most challenged programs.
Zach Calzada named Kentucky's starting QB as former Texas A&M signal callers continue to populate CFB landscape
Calzada is one of several former Aggie quarterbacks who are starting at their various programs around the country. A&M fans are focused on Marcel Reed, of course, but you can't deny that the A&M QB legacy is showing itself around the nation right now.
For one thing, you have Haynes King at Georgia Tech. The former Longview Lobo and twice-injured passer for the Aggies has made a name for himself in Atlanta, and will be one of the most experienced QBs in the ACC for this upcoming year. He's led the Rambling Wreck to a couple of big wins in his time, and he's hoping to continue that trend this fall.
It’s almost time to watch the Georgia Tech offense.
— Garrett Armbrust (@4thandsaturday) July 26, 2025
Haynes King, Jamal Haynes, Eric Rivers (Biletnikoff darkhorse), Malik Rutherford, Isiah Canion, etc.
Experienced Offensive line.
It’s ACCCG or bust this season for the Yellow Jackets.
pic.twitter.com/gPRgmiVu6T
Then, you have Conner Weigman down at Houston. After an up and mostly-down 2024, Weigman is looking to regain his five-star form in his home town under Willie Fritz's tutelage. I feel pretty confident in his ability to show out in that offense this year.
Jaylen Henderson is up at West Virginia with a shot to start, though it may be in a two-quarterback system. Though he only started a few games for the Aggies, he led them to a memorable win over the hapless Mississippi State Bulldogs in 2023 after Max Johnson went down with injury.
Yes, A&M quarterbacks are spread all over the map at this point. With this latest announcement about Calzada, though, there's one hope that Aggie fans have for the Kentucky Wildcats— one last way that he can come through for them. With Kentucky hosting the Longhorns, he'll have a shot to recreate his magic from 2021— and I know every Aggie fan will be watching and hoping for just such an outcome.