Experts rank SEC starting QBs in 2025 — it’s ugly for Kentucky

Zach Calzada has his work cut out for him

It’s no secret that Kentucky’s quarterback situation entering 2025 is… murky. Optimists point to Zach Calzada’s experience and the revival story of Cam Ward at Incarnate Word. That’s the hope in Big Blue Nation: that the Cuban Missile has one last boom left in him. But national experts? They’re not buying stock just yet.

Let’s get to the consensus: Zach Calzada is ranked dead last or near the bottom by every major outlet.

SEC Mike has Calzada 16th of 16, WIth LaNorris Sellers, DJ Lagway, Garrett Nussmeier, Taylen Green, and John Mateer in the top 5.

The Sporting News puts Calzada at 15th, only ahead of one other signal caller, Beau Pribula of Missouri, with Arch Manning topping the list. KSR, always one to sprinkle in blue-tinted optimism, places him 14th, noting that Calzada “has the intangibles to put the team on his back”—but also reminding fans that he’ll need to, with an unproven WR corps and Bush Hamdan still trying to shake the rust from last year’s nightmare season.

But Saturday Down South delivered the coldest slap of reality, slotting Calzada dead last and wondering aloud: If two SEC programs have already passed on him, and he’s now walking into an offense that finished No. 119 nationally, why expect fireworks?

The narrative is clear: Calzada has to prove it, and he’ll have to do it fast. The path is steep, but not unprecedented. After all, Cam Ward turned Incarnate Word magic into the top pick in the NFL Draft after a year at Miami. Calzada has the experience, the toughness, and now, one last shot at redemption.

Still, it’s tough to ignore this universal shrug from the experts. Even Kentucky-friendly voices see him as a bottom-tier SEC starter entering the fall. That doesn’t inspire confidence in a team trying to rebound after a disappointing 2024.

If Kentucky is going to defy expectations, it starts with the Cuban Missile finding a guidance system—and soon.