Kentucky quarterbacks Zach Calzada and Cutter Boley have been entangled in a battle for the starting job as fall workouts near an end.
Wildcats offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan said “every day matters” when it comes to the evaluation of both signal callers.
“We’re constantly evaluating these guys and their progression,” Hamdan said. “It’s an interesting situation because the more veteran guy just got here four or five months ago and the newcomer is in his second year. Both of them are going to have to win football games for us.”
Calzada has an impressive track record that includes stops at Texas A&M, Auburn and Incarnate Word, while Boley is in his second season, but has a handle on Hamdan’s offensive schemes after garnering playing time at the end of last season.
Hamdan said both players made strides in last Saturday’s scrimmage, the final situational outing before the season opener against Toledo, set for Aug. 30 at Kroger Field.
“I think the biggest thing is just that it was as real of a game atmosphere as we could put them in — from a quarterback perspective, the learning lesson of the night before, the morning before, getting yourself ready for the game,” he said. “Never too high, never too low.”
Hamdan has noticed the progress Boley has made in the pocket since last season and praised his performances behind the scenes.
“Cutter’s doing a lot of really good things,” Hamdan said. “You see where he’s come from last year to this year, just his mental approach, how calm he is out there. He’s pushing the needle on this thing.”
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said earlier this week that Boley is making “gains” and is pushing Calzada for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart.
“He’s a big guy, he can make all the throws,” Stoops said of Calzada. “He has a strong arm and he’s in a battle with Cutter Boley. … Zach has been very steady and very good through camp, as has Cutter.”
The Kentucky offensive coordinator also likes the way Calzada has progressed in the first month of camp.
“Zach has done a really nice job as well,” Hamdan said. “We’re very fortunate to have both of those guys here.”
Hamdan, who used Brock Vandagriff and Gavin Wimsatt on the same series at times last season, doesn’t predict a two-quarterback scenario this year.
“I think some of (what happened last year) was a little bit more of the athletic factor that Gavin presented. I think we’re in a situation where we need to get the one guy as comfortable as you can get.”
Cutter Boley is enjoying a successful preseason camp. (UK Athletics Photo)
