Folks the information is flying left and right. I'm sorry for having so many posts, but it's a busy time and things change. This is all the latest, and I'm confident of it.
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Kentucky feels very good about Zach Calzada. There have been a lot of rumors out there but I am confident of this. The quarterback board at the end of the regular season looked like this:
1. Darian Mensah (Tulane)
2. Zach Calzada (Incarnate Word)
3. Kyron Drones (Virginia Tech)
4. Maalik Murphy (Duke)
Mensah was someone they really liked a lot but he went to Duke. You remember we mentioned Calzada very early on. So I am confident he was No. 2 on the wish list.
Apparently Calzada was thinking about going into the 2025 NFL Draft. Scouts had given him as high as a 4th round grade, some between 5th and 7th, others that he was in that conversation.
The combination of Calzada's arm ability, decision making, experience, and running ability made him high on their wish list. He went 8-4 with Texas A&M, and 4-4 in the SEC. Other A&M quarterbacks didn't do better than that for Jimbo.
Calzada would have started at A&M again but Jimbo got fired.
During Austin Davis' short stint as Auburn's offensive coordinator at the end of 2021 going into 2022, he targeted Calzada as the guy he wanted to be the Tigers' quarterback after watching him with Texas A&M. But Calzada was injured, hurt his shoulder, and that's the reason he never got a chance there.
Fast forward to Incarnate Word, he could have come out and had FBS opportunities last season but he stuck around and became a more coveted commodity. That is the case for Calzada, and there is a sense that Incarnate Word has done a good job developing quarterbacks.
As for the Nebraska running back, Dante Dowdell, I'm hearing that he's someone that Kentucky likes and it seems like it could definitely happen. At the same time, there are some mixed feelings on Chip Trayanum leaving. He was brought in because they did like him but he got hurt and that's why he didn't get more of a workload. But again, it was a given they were going to take a portal running back. Would certainly cost a lot less than Ahmad Hardy, who has been/was reported to be visiting soon as well.
Finally, keep an eye on that Illinois tight end I told you about, Hunter Boyer. Could beef up the run blocking significantly (6'7, 265).
Additionally, I have heard of an offensive tackle, possibly a LT, who hasn't gone into the portal but is someone who might go in and there would be interest.
So here is where things stand, in my view.
QB - Likely Calzada
RB - Likely Dowdell
WR - Likely Law from Alabama and then size from elsewhere, maybe Bowick?
TE - Boyer
OT - Still need a LT but that's about it
Those are the offensive needs. Still dialed into what's happening with the defense.
Have heard that Kentucky has interest in Georgia defensive lineman Jamaal Jarrett. Eric Wolford was his lead area recruiter when he was around the first time. However I have not heard of a visit and there has been talk of visits elsewhere.
Jacob Polacheck had a report on Ball State CB Myles Norwood who is likely to visit Kentucky. TBD on where he falls on the wish list as there are several corners they've been looking at.
UK's also looking at 6'3, 303-pound Louisiana Tech defensive lineman David Blay. He was a first team All-Conference USA selection this year and I hope to have more on him soon but can confirm some interest.
***
Kentucky feels very good about Zach Calzada. There have been a lot of rumors out there but I am confident of this. The quarterback board at the end of the regular season looked like this:
1. Darian Mensah (Tulane)
2. Zach Calzada (Incarnate Word)
3. Kyron Drones (Virginia Tech)
4. Maalik Murphy (Duke)
Mensah was someone they really liked a lot but he went to Duke. You remember we mentioned Calzada very early on. So I am confident he was No. 2 on the wish list.
Apparently Calzada was thinking about going into the 2025 NFL Draft. Scouts had given him as high as a 4th round grade, some between 5th and 7th, others that he was in that conversation.
The combination of Calzada's arm ability, decision making, experience, and running ability made him high on their wish list. He went 8-4 with Texas A&M, and 4-4 in the SEC. Other A&M quarterbacks didn't do better than that for Jimbo.
Calzada would have started at A&M again but Jimbo got fired.
During Austin Davis' short stint as Auburn's offensive coordinator at the end of 2021 going into 2022, he targeted Calzada as the guy he wanted to be the Tigers' quarterback after watching him with Texas A&M. But Calzada was injured, hurt his shoulder, and that's the reason he never got a chance there.
Fast forward to Incarnate Word, he could have come out and had FBS opportunities last season but he stuck around and became a more coveted commodity. That is the case for Calzada, and there is a sense that Incarnate Word has done a good job developing quarterbacks.
As for the Nebraska running back, Dante Dowdell, I'm hearing that he's someone that Kentucky likes and it seems like it could definitely happen. At the same time, there are some mixed feelings on Chip Trayanum leaving. He was brought in because they did like him but he got hurt and that's why he didn't get more of a workload. But again, it was a given they were going to take a portal running back. Would certainly cost a lot less than Ahmad Hardy, who has been/was reported to be visiting soon as well.
Finally, keep an eye on that Illinois tight end I told you about, Hunter Boyer. Could beef up the run blocking significantly (6'7, 265).
Additionally, I have heard of an offensive tackle, possibly a LT, who hasn't gone into the portal but is someone who might go in and there would be interest.
So here is where things stand, in my view.
QB - Likely Calzada
RB - Likely Dowdell
WR - Likely Law from Alabama and then size from elsewhere, maybe Bowick?
TE - Boyer
OT - Still need a LT but that's about it
Those are the offensive needs. Still dialed into what's happening with the defense.
Have heard that Kentucky has interest in Georgia defensive lineman Jamaal Jarrett. Eric Wolford was his lead area recruiter when he was around the first time. However I have not heard of a visit and there has been talk of visits elsewhere.
Jacob Polacheck had a report on Ball State CB Myles Norwood who is likely to visit Kentucky. TBD on where he falls on the wish list as there are several corners they've been looking at.
UK's also looking at 6'3, 303-pound Louisiana Tech defensive lineman David Blay. He was a first team All-Conference USA selection this year and I hope to have more on him soon but can confirm some interest.
