Following a historic string of eight straight bowl berths that reset expectations in Lexington, the Kentucky Wildcats came crashing back to earth in 2024. A 4-8 overall record, with a dismal 1-7 SEC mark, was the program’s worst since 2013. For a fan base growing accustomed to winning under HC Mark Stoops, it was nothing short of a wake-up call.
Now in a critical season, Stoops is not walking on eggshells around the stakes—he’s doubling down. The 2025 Kentucky squad boasts a radically remade offensive line and a tough new lead back. And, most intriguingly, a quarterback rebuild project in Zach Calzada that could fuel a renaissance or flame out into another lost season.
Can Kentucky Return to Success in 2025 on the Back of QB Zach Calzada?
If there is a defining narrative to Kentucky’s 2025 campaign, it starts and finishes with Zach Calzada. He is a name familiar to many SEC supporters from Texas A&M’s shocking 2021 Alabama upset.
At the time, Calzada was a redshirt sophomore who passed for 285 yards and three touchdowns against Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide defense and, for a moment, became a hot name throughout college football.
Still, Injuries, inconsistency, and a move to Auburn (where he never saw action due to shoulder surgery) derailed his career. By 2023, Calzada was an afterthought—until he emerged again at Incarnate Word.
In 2024, Calzada illuminated the FCS level, passing for 3,791 yards, 35 touchdowns, and a career-high percentage of completions above 65%, earning All-American honors and Southland Conference Player of the Year. It was a coming-out party that few anticipated.
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He is back in the SEC now—wiser, older, and set on redefining his legacy.
He’s battle-tested,” offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan said, back for a second year after a rocky debut in 2024. “He’s experienced the highs and the lows. This league is hard, but so is Zach.
The gamble is clear. If Calzada can combine his FCS refinement with SEC readiness, Kentucky might finally get consistent quarterback play. But if the jump proves too steep, the offense, ranked 119th nationally in points per game last year, could stagnate once again.
Stoops completely reconstructed the offensive line, adding a remarkable group of transfer talent anticipated to begin from day one. Key Signings include Alex Wollschlaeger from Bowling Green, a 6’7″, 310-pound, two-time All-MAC selection, who enters with more than 2,300 career snaps and superior run-blocking skills.
Left tackle Shiyazh Pete from New Mexico State also joins. He is a First-Team All-CUSA selection and provides athleticism and blindside protection. Joshua Braun from Florida is a veteran with SEC experience who is probably anchored in the interior.
Finally, Courtland Ford from USC, Rob Fogler from Ball State, and Cameron Jones from James Madison complete what may be Kentucky’s deepest line in years.
These aren’t development guys—they’re plug-and-play starters brought in to protect Calzada and revive a run game that never got its footing last season.
The Dowdell Effect Was Ground-and-Pound Returns to Lexington
Behind that rebuilt O-line is Dante Dowdell, a Nebraska transfer (previously with Oregon) who embodies a bruising, downhill approach in the vein of Kentucky’s greatest backs from the Benny Snell days.
Dowdell had limited reps at Lincoln but showed power, vision, and a crushing stiff-arm. If Kentucky can create holes, Dowdell might be a focal point on short-yardage and red zone occasions, particularly with Calzada getting into rhythm.
To complement Dowdell will be a committee of tight ends and backs in run-heavy sets meant to keep defenses honest. Stoops and Hamdan are seeking to re-establish a physical identity, and Dowdell might be the tone-setter.
MORE: My Game Has Evolved Tremendously’ — Kentucky QB Zach Calzada Is Unrecognizable Since Last SEC Stop
Can the Cats regain momentum—or has Kentucky reached a plateau? There’s no sugarcoating it: Mark Stoops is coaching the most crucial season of his career.
For a program that, recently, teetered on the brink of SEC East contention, 2024 was a harsh step back. And in today’s SEC, where NIL, realignment, and playoff expansion have everyone playing catch-up, there isn’t much leeway for patience.
But the pieces could be there. A quarterback to prove himself. An offensive line made for trench war. A smash-mouth power back. And a head coach who, in spite of the misfortunes, has already demonstrated he can construct and win at Kentucky.
With the opening SEC battles versus Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee staring the Wildcats in the face in the first six weeks. The Wildcats won’t have a moment to spare to get things sorted out.
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